[ad_1]
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Jury selection is underway for the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor, charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the first time. Justine Ruszczyk Damond's shooting death in 2017.
The court is looking for 16 jurors – 12 who will deliberate and four alternates. Judge Kathryn Quaintance keeps the identity of prospective jurors secret during the process. Individuals will only be known by a number. The judge said that this was done to prevent people from influencing their opinion, not for security reasons.
The judge told the jury to wait until the Noor trial lasted three to four weeks. She ordered the prospective jurors not to consume any media about this case from now on – no newspapers, no television, no social media and no conversations about the case outside the palace. justice.
Monday's jury pool distorted the age, the white and the male. Paul Blume, FOX 9 journalist, was in the audience room and estimated that the jury had about 25 women and 15 people of color out of about 75 people.
The jury selection process will resume on Wednesday, April 3rd. See what's in the jury's questionnaire here.
The shooting death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond has boosted the coverage of international news in her native Australia and has sparked protests in favor of police reform in the twin cities.
The 40-year-old life coach called 911 in July 2017 to report a possible sexual assault near her home in the Fulton area of Minneapolis. Noor was in the passenger seat of the patrol brigade. He shot her and killed her through the open driver's window after she approached the squad from behind.
FOX 9 reporter Paul Blume covers shooting, investigation and criminal prosecution from the start. Marsh Halberg, a defense lawyer and former attorney, joined the Hennepin County Government Center Monday morning to discuss the jury selection process and defense strategy.
Paul Blume: How do you choose an impartial jury in a high-profile trial?
Marsh Halberg: "Really difficult task in this case. With social media, this case has flooded the world for two years and it will be a real challenge. They will go through a three-step process, a little different from most cases. They will start with a questionnaire today, give it to the jurors, and come back in a day or two. They will put individual questions to some of the jurors and then come back to a large group of questions. "
What are the first impressions you want to show to the jurors who could decide the fate of Mohamed Noor?
"The old adage says you have a chance to make a first impression, right? I think Mr. Noor will testify in this case. I'll be surprised if he does not, shocked if he does not testify. During the group session, they will ask Mr. Noor to stand up, turn around, say hello to the jury and make that first impression. "
What do the jurors think? Some of these people will know exactly what process they are preparing for.
"Everyone here will know that he's here for the Noor trial. Some of these jurors will be really enthusiastic – I want to be part of this jury, I want to live this civic experience, I want to go through that. So everyone will go back a little. We do not want you to try too hard to be on this subject and just try to give the right answer to try to get the grade. "
How important, from a defense point of view, to have someone like Mohamed Noor on this jury?
"It's really an interesting contrast. Usually, we have all the dynamics of the white policeman firing on the black, and we have the opposite here. This changes the roles a little bit. This is a problem called Batson Challenge, which is a sophisticated name to say that you can not hit anyone just because it is a minority. It's something that everyone will look back for, to make sure he's hit for other reasons.
Should Mohamed Noor speak?
"To win, I think he has to speak. Technically, they have done a remarkable job in not allowing him to speak so far. The first time everyone hears Mr. Noor is when he's at the helm to tell his story. So many times, it's not just what you say, but how you say it – the nuances, the body language, the fact of addressing the jury and looking in the eye and explaining certain things. And they will have practiced all this again and again with him, so it's going very well.
[ad_2]
Source link