Story highlights Thoughts on death penalty, race are key factors in early phase of jury selection

Dylann Roof has been deemed mentally fit to face 33 charges in a 2015 church massacre

Charleston, South Carolina (CNN) A federal judge on Monday granted Dylann Roof's motion to represent himself, and Roof is being permitted to object if he feels potential jurors are not fit to serve on the jury deciding his fate.

Roof, who is accused of killing nine people at a black church in Charleston, South Carolina, in June 2015, was deemed competent to stand trial last week

Jury selection had been under way when US District Judge Richard Mark Gergel halted the process to allow Roof to undergo a competency evaluation. Gergel ruled Roof was competent, but he sealed a document containing the reasons for his finding. Disclosing the document would jeopardize Roof's right to a fair trial, the judge said.

The process of selecting a jury of Roof's peers resumed Monday.

Federal court officials said 20 jurors were questioned during the deliberation, seven of those were found to be qualified and 13 jurors were excused. The court will continue questioning jurors until 70 qualified jurors are identified.

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