Jury is selected for the trial of 3 ex-Memphis officers charged in Tyre Nichols' death
A jury has been selected in the federal trial of three former Memphis police officers charged with federal civil rights violations in the beating death of Tyre Nichols
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A jury was selected Tuesday for the federal trial of three former Memphis police officers charged with federal civil rights violations in the January 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols.
A pool of 200 candidates answered questionnaires ahead of jury selection to assess their ability to serve on the panel. Prospective jurors answered questions from U.S. District Judge Mark Norris about whether they could be fair and impartial in the face of heavy media coverage before the trial and whether watching video of the beating would be a problem for them if they are chosen.
Prosecutors and defense lawyers agreed on the 12 jurors and four alternates after more than 12 hours of jury selection, which began Monday. Opening statements are expected Wednesday. The trial is expected to last three to four weeks.
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith have pleaded not guilty to charges that they deprived the 29-year-old Nichols of his rights through excessive force and failure to intervene, and obstructed justice through witness tampering. The beating was caught on police cameras, triggering protests and calls for police reform. Two others, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., have already pleaded guilty to the federal charges and could testify against their former colleagues.
