CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jury selection in the voluntary manslaughter trial against Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Randall Wes Kerrick progressed rapidly on Wednesday.
One alternate was chosen in the morning and three were picked in the afternoon, meaning the panel is set and the trial can begin.
On Thursday, the judge will hear motions. The attorneys will get the day off on Friday, and opening arguments are set to begin on Monday.
Here is the demographic breakdown of the alternates: all four are white; one is a man, while the rest are women.
One of them made it despite telling the court that some of her family members have a drug problem.
The defense is expected to highlight Jonathan Ferrell's alcohol and marijuana usage on the morning he was shot and killed.
Police have been worried about demonstrators coming in from out of town during jury selection, however, we didn't see any of that.
But Ferrell's family got some support from an unexpected source: a group of Korean college students traveling around the country to support the Dream Act lent heir support to Ferrell's mother and brother.
"We have different struggles to a different degrees, but at the end of the day we are all struggling against all this injustice and things that have been placed upon us," said Bo Daraphant, a U.C. Irvine student.
The local chapter of his group may show up at the courthouse when this trial starts on Monday.
