No Black jurors selected in Aaron Dean trial
FORT WORTH, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Eight men and six women have been selected to sit as jurors in the Aaron Dean murder trial.
The unusually large jury pool of 200 people was narrowed down to a few dozen by Thursday night, after a full day of attorneys questioning potential jurors about their opinions on law enforcement, and their willingness to potentially send a former officer to prison for five to 99 years.
Dean, a former Fort Worth police officer, shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson in her home back in 2019. Race has been an element of this incident since it happened, and there are no Black jurors among the 14 chosen.
Dean's attorneys have argued for about a year that the trial should be moved out of Tarrant County, because he wouldn't be able to find a fair jury due to extensive media coverage and statements against Dean by influential people in the community.
Opening statements are scheduled to begin Monday.