Jury In Porter Trial Expected To Be Seated Wednesday
BALTIMORE (WJZ) – The job of selecting an impartial jury in the first Freddie Gray trial may be almost over. Important progress is made in day two of the jury selection in the trial of Officer William Porter.
Porter is charged with manslaughter, assault and misconduct in office as the first of six Baltimore City officers to face trial.
WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren with more on the progress made Tuesday with jury selection.
All of the possible jurors have been dismissed for the day. On Wednesday, the best of the best will be pooled and then privately told that they need to come back in. From them, the jury will be picked. We expect the jury to be seated by sometime Wednesday.
Much of the jury selection process in the trial of Officer William Porter is taking place in private, where prospective jurors are meeting one-by-one with the judge and lawyers for both sides.
They're inside a room on the fourth floor of the Mitchell Courthouse that lawyer Adam Ruther knows well.
"It's a room not unlike this one. It's a long conference room with bookshelves on the walls," he said.
Ruther says Judge Barry Williams is leading the Q&A, expanding on the basic information jurors indicated in court about their relationship with law enforcement and the case.
"Typically, the way Judge Williams does it is he asks the questions. One part or the other or the judge on his own could make a motion to strike that juror for cause. This juror has admitted to us under oath that they cannot be fair and impartial," said Ruther.
Two different panels--roughly 150 prospective jurors--indicated in open court responses on whether they personally know Gray--only two do--18 would give more or less weight to an officer's testimony, 84 have either been a crime victim or convicted of a crime and 48 have strong feelings on manslaughter and and misconduct--the charges Porter faces.
The amount of time it takes to pick a jury can vary wildly. In the case of former Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon, it was two days; Casey Anthony, ten days; O.J. Simpson, three months; and George Zimmerman, just one day.
And in this case, which has so deeply impacted Baltimore, the judge is not only confident he can quickly seat a jury, but that the trial will be over by December 17.
"He will get the job done the quickest way he possible can, which is exactly what you want a judge to do in these circumstances," Ruther said.
Once the jury is seated Wednesday, opening statements could begin. People will be watching the makeup of that jury.
Stay with WJZ for complete coverage as jury selection resumes in the first trial in the Freddie Gray case. We'll bring you every development from the courtroom.