RENWL

No Black Jurers Selected For Oscar Grant Bart Shooting Trial

Photo courtesy of Racewire

A Los Angeles County judge, late Tuesday, officially seated a jury made up of eight women and four men for the Oscar Grant trial. The jury consists of seven Caucasians, four Hispanics, one east Asian. No blacks.

According NBC Bay Area Website, reporters outside the courthouse said the Grant family and their legal team were visibly upset by the news of the jury’s seating. Tuesday was the only day potential jurors were questioned.  They reported to court last week, but went home after filling out a questionnaire.

NBC Bay Area goes on to state that race has been and is expected to continue to be a key component in this already highly charged trial. The trial could be considered the most racially polarizing in California since the acquittal of four white Los Angeles police officers accused of beating Rodney King. That verdict was read in 1992 and lead to days of riots.

Here’s a quick recap of the case:

Johannes Mehserle is accused of killing Oscar Grant on a Fruitvale BART platform early Jan. 1, 2009. Grant was being detained at the time after reportedly taking part in a fight on the train on its way back from a New Year’s Eve celebration in San Francisco.   It’s the first time ever in California that a police officer has stood trial in the fatal shooting of a suspect.

The trial is expected to center of six cell phone videos taken that night that show Mehserle shooting Grant. There is also a never before seen surveillance camera video that will be played at the trial.

Mehserle has said he thought he was using his Taser when he shot Grant.

Uncle of the late Oscar Grant is interviewed giving his opinion on the jury selection. They shouldn’t have let him speak is all we’re gonna say: