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Jury Selection Begins in Jayson Williams Trial
Aired January 13, 2004 - 15:08 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Did ex-basketball star Jayson Williams shoot a limo driver, then try to cover it up? Today, the process begins for picking a jury to decide just that.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick, live in Somerville, New Jersey, now -- Deborah.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, 300 men and women are filling out questionnaires, things like, who are they, what do they do, do they have racial biases. All of these are details that will help prosecutors and defense attorneys choose a jury for the Jayson Williams manslaughter trial.
Now, a court official tells us that a number of potential jurors have already told the judge that they cannot sit for the two-month- long trial, because it is simply too much of a hardship. Jayson Williams inside the courtroom this morning saying very little, but, when he was introduced, he stood, nodded slightly, and said, "Good morning, everyone."
That lasted for several hours, the morning session of jury selection. About 12:30, everyone broke for lunch. Jayson Williams said nothing to the horde of cameras that were waiting outside for him. The big question that a jury is going to face, did Jayson Williams recklessly pull the trigger, as prosecutors allege, or did the gun accidentally misfire when Williams snapped it shut, as his lawyers say?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing we can say yet.
QUESTION: Just anything generically?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're still picking a jury. It's going to be a long process. But there's really nothing we can say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will get a fair jury selection. We believe we will get a fair trial and a fair verdict. But beyond that, we can't comment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: The trial was moved here to Somerville from Flemington, after defense attorneys argued that there was no much pretrial publicity that it would taint the jury pool over in Flemington.
Now, the big question also that is going to be facing juries, did Jayson Williams try to cover up the shooting? A source close to the investigation tells CNN that witnesses will testify they saw Williams wipe his prints from the double-barreled shotgun and then position it to make it look as if the limo driver inside the home killed himself. Opening statements are still about three weeks away -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Deborah Feyerick, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 13, 2004 - 15:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Did ex-basketball star Jayson Williams shoot a limo driver, then try to cover it up? Today, the process begins for picking a jury to decide just that.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick, live in Somerville, New Jersey, now -- Deborah.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, 300 men and women are filling out questionnaires, things like, who are they, what do they do, do they have racial biases. All of these are details that will help prosecutors and defense attorneys choose a jury for the Jayson Williams manslaughter trial.
Now, a court official tells us that a number of potential jurors have already told the judge that they cannot sit for the two-month- long trial, because it is simply too much of a hardship. Jayson Williams inside the courtroom this morning saying very little, but, when he was introduced, he stood, nodded slightly, and said, "Good morning, everyone."
That lasted for several hours, the morning session of jury selection. About 12:30, everyone broke for lunch. Jayson Williams said nothing to the horde of cameras that were waiting outside for him. The big question that a jury is going to face, did Jayson Williams recklessly pull the trigger, as prosecutors allege, or did the gun accidentally misfire when Williams snapped it shut, as his lawyers say?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing we can say yet.
QUESTION: Just anything generically?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're still picking a jury. It's going to be a long process. But there's really nothing we can say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will get a fair jury selection. We believe we will get a fair trial and a fair verdict. But beyond that, we can't comment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: The trial was moved here to Somerville from Flemington, after defense attorneys argued that there was no much pretrial publicity that it would taint the jury pool over in Flemington.
Now, the big question also that is going to be facing juries, did Jayson Williams try to cover up the shooting? A source close to the investigation tells CNN that witnesses will testify they saw Williams wipe his prints from the double-barreled shotgun and then position it to make it look as if the limo driver inside the home killed himself. Opening statements are still about three weeks away -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Deborah Feyerick, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
