Lasted Updated 4:14 PM
The jury has been selected in the murder trial of Rayquan Borum, who faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Justin Carr.
Borum is accused of shooting Carr in uptown Charlotte during the second night of protests after the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in September 2016.
Now that the 12 jurors have been seated, the focus has shifted to choosing alternatives. So far, one alternate has been selected. Two more are needed, and the jury pool is down to four people.
Selecting the 12 jurors had proven difficult. This morning, four jurors were excused. Most notably, one juror said she feared for her safety and the safety of her family if she were to render a guilty verdict. That fear, she said, would cause her to render a not guilty verdict even if she believed Borum was responsible for the death of Carr.
The juror said she worried someone connected to Borum would find her information and retaliate. The names of people who are selected to serve on a jury are part of the public court record.
After the fourth person was dismissed this morning, a frustrated Judge Gregory Hayes said, "I can't control my disappointment" as he looked at the dwindling pool of remaining jurors. Last week when the jury selection process began, there was a pool of 52 people.
Prosecutors used two of their strikes this morning. They now have four left. The defense has now used all six of their strikes.
Judge Hayes had said earlier in the day that he wanted to start opening arguments tomorrow morning. However, the trial is now set to start on Monday.
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