GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A pool of more than 200 Kent County residents assembled at 17th Circuit Court in Grand Rapids on Monday to fill out questionnaires that will be used to determine their fit to serve on the jury in the trial of Christopher Schurr.
Schurr, a former Grand Rapids police officer, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Patrick Lyoya.
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The highly-publicized nature of the case — whose history has included a billboard and protests in the aftermath of Lyoya's death — will likely make jury selection an important and difficult task, says the defense for Schurr.
"We don't want people that have already made up their mind before they hear the evidence," attorney Matthew Borgula said after a pre-trial hearing last week.
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On Tuesday, Borgula, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker and others from the defense and prosecution will question these prospective jurors as they and Judge Christina Mims work to determine how these people's backgrounds, beliefs and biases could affect their reasoning in the trial.
In addition to the twelve jurors, two alternates will also be selected, according to 17th Circuit Court.
FOX 17 will be present in the courtoom during jury selection, though no cameras, cell phones and computers will be allowed.
The trial is set to begin on Monday, April 28.
Similarly, no cameras, cell phones and computers will be allowed during testimony, apart from a single pool camera from which news outlets — including FOX 17 — will pull footage for their coverage of the proceedings.
A live feed of the trial will also be transmitted to a credentialed media room at 17th Circuit Court, given limited seating in the courtoom.
If convicted, Schurr could face up to life in prison, though his guilt will ultimately be determined by those selected to serve on the jury.
