Jury Selected In Jason Van Dyke Trial

CHICAGO, IL - Twelve jurors have been selected in the Jason Van Dyke murder trial at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building. The 11th juror was sworn in Thursday and the 12th juror, along with three alternates, were also selected. Van Dyke faces six counts of first-degree murder, 16 counts of aggravated battery and one count of official misconduct for the October 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Van Dyke can opt for a bench trial anytime before the 12th juror is sworn in. Gaughan said the defense will decide Friday whether it will be a jury or bench trial.

“We will swear in 11 of 12 jurors today," he said. "We’re going to go on with jury selection and the defense tomorrow will make a decision what kind of trial it is.”

The 11th juror is a white man who appears to be in his thirties. He holds bachelor and master of science from the University of Illinois in nuclear engineering. He works as a bill processor for a company that processes ComEd payments.

The juror is aware of the case, which Van Dyke has been charged with first degree murder in connection with the 2014 fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald. One response on the juror's questionnaire indicated that based on news reports and video that he believes "the officer went too far," but later said he would be able to put his opinions aside and be impartial in the case.

The defense tried unsuccessfully to remove him for cause, but did not use up one of its two final discretionary strikes.

The 12th juror selected is a woman who appears to be in her late twenties to early thirties. She is a CT technologist. She acknowledged that she sometimes gets distracted and loses focus, but the for the purpose of the trial she could focus.

She claimed she never saw the video of Van Dyke shooting McDonald and has no opinion on the case. The woman stated on the juror questionnaire, which is sealed until after the trial, that “no matter what your occupation is, if you knowingly break the law you need to face consequences.

Three alternates were also picked, although reportedly, they aren’t being told they’re alternates until the jury begins deliberations. A black woman who works in Cook County Clerk David Orr’s office was selected as the first alternate juror. Asked if she had concerns about going home if there was a not guilty verdict she replied that she did not, but did admit feeling a little intimidated by protestors because “you don’t know what to expect what they’re going to do.”

A white woman who appeared to be in her 20s was chosen as the second alternate. She works for a company that markets beer. She previously served on a jury where a defendant was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer. The judge told her not to divulge the verdict during her interview. She stated on her juror questionnaire that police know and should abide by the law. “They shouldn’t act above the law because they have authority.”

The third alternate juror is a black man in his 60s wearing a Chicago Bears jersey. The man is a retired security guard for the Art Institute of Chicago. Asked what he thought about prosecutors he said “I think they have a good job.” Everyone laughed, including Van Dyke.

He said he saw the video “but I couldn’t get any anything out of it.” He told the judge that he wanted to see the evidence.

One prospective alternate, a white woman whose husband is a firefighter and comes from a police family, was struck by the prosecutor when she answered on the questionnaire she thought “people in Chicago act like animals and don’t appreciate [police officers’] protection and take it for granted.

Another potential juror, an African-American woman, was dismissed with cause when she stated on the questionnaire that she thought Van Dyke was guilty: “Yes. Guilty -- murdered Laquan instead of using other tactics.”

Jurors were also asked about any potential hardships they might have if the jury was sequestered. Gaughan told the 11th juror that he would be called when he was needed. Opening statements could begin on Monday. Jurors were also admonished not to discuss the case with family or friends or research the case on the Internet, but were allowed to say that they were serving on the "People vs. Van Dyke" trial.

Van Dyke, 40, was a 13-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department at the time of the shooting. He was charged with murder after police dashboard video was released by court order a year later. The video shows Van Dyke opening fire within seconds of exiting his squad car, as McDonald, holding a knife appeared to be walking away. The video’s release touched off months of protests because it contradicted what police at the scene reported, that the black teen had threatened officers.

~ Patch file photo | Lorraine Swanson