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American Morning

Hockey Dad Trial to Begin Today

Aired January 03, 2002 - 09:28   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Opening statements are expected this morning in the trial of a man charged with beating another man to death over a child's hockey game. A jury in Boston must decide whether Thomas Junta acted in self-defense, as he claims. Our Boston Bureaua Chief Bill Delaney joins us now from Cambridge. He's got more on this case -- Bill, good morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Whether Thomas Junta is sentenced to as many as 20 years in prison or doesn't go at all now depends on whether a jury concludes he killed from rage or in self-defense when he beat Michael Costin to death on July 5, 2000 as several children looked on, including Costin's sons.

Costin had supervised a hockey practice, mostly of 10-year-olds at a rink in Reading, Massachusetts where Junta watched from the stands, allegedly infuriated when he felt Costin allowed too much roughness.

Wednesday, as jury selection began in a Cambridge, Massachusetts courtroom, attorneys indicated the killing's brutality, arguing over admitting photographs of the dead man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's gruesome, it's gross, it's sickening, it's horrible. It would cause extreme prejudice to this jury looking at those photographs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I agree it's graphic and I have every intention of, you know, explaining to the jury that there will be photographs that will be graphic in my opening. But it's also very important to the Commonwealth's case to be able to show what the injuries are.

DELANEY: Junta is expected to testify in his own defense, claiming Costin started the fight. More electrifying testimony still expected when Junta's son and one of Costin's three sons also testify about what they saw after that mid-summer hockey practice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DELANEY: Trial expected to resume here shortly at Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 14 jurors, including two alternates, expected to be chosen by this morning and they will very quickly board a bus, we are told, and head off for the hockey rink where all this happened to observe the scene there. Opening arguments possible also later today. Back to you -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right, thanks, Bill. Bill Delaney reporting live for us this mourning from Cambridge.

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