A jury has been seated and the trial of former Charlotte Mecklenburg police officer Randall "Wes" Kerrick is set to begin opening statements tomorrow, 3 August 2015. The trial started on 20 July with jury selection. Kerrick is charged with voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting Jonathan Ferrell, an unarmed black man seeking help after a car accident.
Jonathan Ferrell
Nine jurors were selected in the first week before
the pool of 321 candidates ran out. The final three jurors and four alternates were chosen from a new pool. After seven days of selection,
the panel was completed on Wednesday, 29 July 2015.
On Friday, 31 July, Judge Robert Ervin ruled that a camera would be allowed in the courtroom, but there would be no Internet access.
CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) -
You will be able to see and hear the testimony from inside the trial of Officer Randall Wes Kerrick. The judge will allow a camera in the coutroom.
When a lawyer representing WBTV and other media outlets argued Thursday why a camera would benefit the public he said it was about increasing understanding about the judicial process and acceptance of the verdict.
Cameras will be allowed inside the Kerrick trial, but no live streaming. Reporters will be allowed laptops but no internet access or Twitter.
The Charlotte Observer describes the full jury as a "mixed bunch" and
gives more details on its makeup here.
The dashcam video of the shooting has never been released to the public, and is considered the pivotal piece of evidence to many followers of the trial. WSOC reporter Jim Bradley goes deeper with five key questions that will play a major role.
What does the CMPD video taken during the incident actually show?
How did CMPD training impact the actions of Randall “Wes” Kerrick?
Will Kerrick testify?
What does independent investigation by SBI conclude?
Will jurors be allowed to go to the scene for first hand look?
The city of Charlotte
settled a civil lawsuit for $2.25 million with the Ferrell family in May 2015. In an
interview with WCNC's Michele Boudin, Jonathan Ferrell's brother Willie dismissed claims that the shooting was in self defense.
It's crazy too, he says, that the defense has tried saying Jonathan may have been amped up on drugs that horrible night. Not Jonathan, he says.
Jonathan is a guy who sang in the church choir, was engaged to his high school sweetheart and slept with a Winnie the Pooh bear every night. His mom now carries the bear everywhere.
Georgia Ferrell said, "Jonathan was a person of love. Jonathan really never saw bad in people."
There are
over 200 people on the witness list:
These are among more than 200 people who could testify at the voluntary manslaughter trial of CMPD Officer Randall “Wes” Kerrick. He is accused of wrongfully killing Jonathan Ferrell during a late-night encounter.
Max Funderburke, a close friend of Jonathan Ferrell. He is expected to testify that he and Ferrell smoked marijuana at his home before Ferrell left after 2:30 a.m.
Former Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Rodney Monroe and his successor Kerr Putney. Both were involved in the decision to charge Kerrick, and Putney headed CMPD training. In all, some 115 members of CMPD are on the witness list.
The trial is expected to last several weeks. For the latest updates, please follow #KerrickTrial on Twitter. Links to my previous diaries on the case:
28 July 2015: Jury seated in trial of Charlotte officer charged with shooting unarmed man
27 Jan 2014: Officer-indicted-on-voluntary-manslaughter-charge-in-Jonathan-Ferrell-shooting
26 Jan 2014: Jonathan-Ferrell-case-Defense-attorneys-move-to-block-second-Grand-Jury-hearing
22 Jan 2014: Grand-jury-fails-to-indict-officer-in-Jonathan-Ferrell-shooting-DA-to-resubmit-case 13 Jan 2014: NC-Attorney-General-to-seek-indictment-in-Jonathan-Ferrell-case
3 Nov 2013: Jonathan-Ferrell-autopsy-Legal-BAC-no-illegal-drugs
16 Sep 2013: Investigators-CMPD-officer-fired-12-shots-at-unarmed-accident-victim
15 Sep 2013: Charlotte-NC-officer-involved-shooting-leads-to-voluntary-manslaughter-charge