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U.S. NEWS Saturday 14 September 2019

Jury pool for cop who killed black man asked about biases

By JAKE BLEIBERG who isn’t involved in the
Associated Press case, said potential jurors’
DALLAS (AP) — Prosecutors views on race and their
and defense attorneys in interactions with law en-
the murder trial of a white forcement will be relevant
Dallas police officer who to who is picked.
fatally shot her unarmed “Without knowing anything
black neighbor inside his more about a person, race
own apartment worked — I think — can be an indi-
Friday to get potential ju- cator of how a person may
rors to open up about bi- feel about this case going
ases and feelings they in,” Helms said. “It would
might have about police, be naive to think that race
in a case that has sparked would not be a factor in
fierce debate over race, the minds of the lawyers
politics and policing. who are doing the jury se-
A week after jury selection lection.”
began, would-be jurors in Lawyers’ questions Friday
Amber Guyger’s trial for and the range of respons-
the killing of Botham Jean es from the potential jurors
returned to a Dallas court- showcased the varied is-
house where they were sues at play. State District
questioned by attorneys Judge Tammy Kemp issued
and the judge about their a gag order in the case in
ability to serve in the high- January, barring attorneys
profile case. involved from speaking
The demographics of the about it publicly.
jury will be closely watched But some questions posed
in the case that has drawn Friday hinted at likely strat- Fired Dallas police Officer Amber Guyger, right, arrives for jury selection in her murder trial at the
widespread attention and egies the prosecution and Frank Crowley Courthouse in downtown Dallas, Friday, Sept. 13, 2019.
sparked outrage. While defense may return to dur- Associated Press
lawyers did not ask the jury ing trial. from the Dallas suburb of sary of Jean’s death, hun- emergency responders to
pool explicitly about race, Assistant District Attorney Plano responded that he dreds of potential jurors arrive that she thought she
critics — including Jean’s Jason Fine focused on per- used to talk to people on were given questionnaires was in her own apartment.
family — have questioned spectives on policing, while the phone to stay awake asking about their views Guyger told investigators
why Guyger was not taken much of Guyger defense as he drove home from and knowledge of the her apartment was on the
into custody immediately attorney Toby Shook’s long shifts. case. third floor but that she had
after the shooting and questioning centered on le- Fine asked the detective Attorneys for Guyger re- parked on the fourth floor
whether race played a gal aspects of self-defense. whether police camarade- quested in July that her where Jean lived instead,
factor in her decision to use When asked whether rie would affect the man’s trial be moved to another according to an affidavit,
deadly force. Guyger’s work would ability to impartially decide county, claiming “prejudi- possibly suggesting that
Guyger, who has since “change the burden of this case. The man an- cial” media coverage and she was confused or disori-
been fired, shot and killed proof” she needed, a white swered: “No, sir. I believe I statements from public of- ented.
Jean in the apartment woman said, “I do believe can judge fairly.” ficials “poisoned the jury She initially was arrested on
building where they both that a police officer should Kemp, the judge, urged pool” in Dallas. Kemp has a manslaughter charge,
lived last September. be held to a higher stan- the pool to “set aside any said she will see whether a but a grand jury decided
Guyger, 31, was off duty dard.” preconceived notions” jury can be seated before on the more serious charge
but still in uniform after fin- Several other people, most- of what happened when ruling on the request. of murder.q
ishing what she told inves- ly men, said they’d be un- Guyger shot Jean because Jean graduated in 2016
tigators was a 15-hour shift. able to convict Guyger be- they might be “far afield.” from Harding University in
She said that she confused cause she’d been a Dallas Kemp was firm that 12 jurors Arkansas, where he often
Jean’s apartment with her officer when she shot Jean. and four alternates would led campus religious ser-
own , which was directly Only about a dozen of be selected Friday, a week vices as a student. He had
below his, and mistook the the 220 potential jurors from when the process be- worked for accounting firm
26-year-old accountant raised their hands when gan on Sept. 6. PwC since graduating.
from the Caribbean island Fine asked who had heard Kemp also said there is a After shooting Jean,
nation St. Lucia for a bur- “nothing” about the case. “strong likelihood” that the Guyger can be heard in
glar. While questioning the pool jury will be sequestered for a recording of a 911 call
John Helms, a Dallas-based about how they handle the duration of the trial, apologizing to him. She tells
defense attorney and for- working long hours or a lack which is set to start Sept. 23. a 911 dispatcher nearly
mer federal prosecutor of sleep, a police detective Last week, on the anniver- 20 times while waiting for