GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Jury selection in the trial of Christopher Schurr will continue Wednesday after the prosecution and defense ran out of time to settle on a jury during the first day of examination.
At 17th Circuit Court on Tuesday, a total of 35 potential jurors — Kent County residents — were questioned by Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker and defense attorney Matthew Borgula.
These people were part of a pool of at least 200 who were summoned to the courthouse on Monday to fill out a questionnaire that sought to determine their familiarity with the case and any potential prejudices — including their opinions on use of force and policing — that could disqualify them from serving on the jury.
READ MORE: A pool of 200-plus fill out questionnaires ahead of jury selection
Schurr, a former Grand Rapids police officer, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Patrick Lyoya, a black motorist whom he fatally shot in the back of the head during a traffic stop in April 2022.
Lines of questioning
In addition to follow-up questions based off their answers from the questionnaire, Becker asked potential jurors about their listening skill and ability to work in a group setting such as a jury.
He also discussed the nature of a second-degree murder charge and the standard of reasonable doubt required for a conviction, quizzing potential jurors on if they would be comfortable with being "firmly convinced" but not absolutely certain of the defendant's guilt or innocence.
Similarly, Borgula referenced the questionnaire during his examinations and also grilled potential jurors — especially those with a familiarity of the deadly shooting and its place in the context of race and policing in America — on whether they could set aside their preconceived notions of the case and consider the evidence presented in court with impartiality.
For cause
During courtroom proceedings on Tuesday, eleven potential jurors were dismissed by Judge Christina Mims for cause, typically due to bias.
One person, for example, said he "stands behind our officers." When asked about refugees, he replied, "We have enough problems of our own." (The 26-year-old Lyoya was a Congolese refugee, though this was not known to the potential juror).
Another, who identified herself as a Christian, was dismissed by Judge Mims due to "moral standards" that — by her own admission — would have made it difficult for her to pass judgment in the case.
Yet another said it would be a "tremendous burden" for him to set aside his biases against Schurr.
Peremptory challenges
In the state of Michigan, a defendant who faces a life sentence for an offense such as second-degree murder retains the right to dismiss twelve jurors of their choosing, as does the prosecution. These dismissals are called peremptory challenges.
On Tuesday, both the prosecution and defense used five of these challenges.
Among others, Becker dismissed a man who, on his questionnaire, said police officers are "just trying to do their jobs." Borgula did the same for a man who said the shooting wasn't Schurr's "best decision" and described a "very limited" belief in use of force by police.
Of the twelve jurors and two alternates currently seated on the jury, which is subject to change, a number have seen cell phone and body-worn camera video from the deadly shooting, some are completely new to the case and others claim to know of it but say they are not knowledgeable of the specifics.
Family of both Christopher Schurr and Patrick Lyoya were present in the courtroom.
Jury selection will resume on 8:30am on Wednesday.
For a full timeline of events in the death of Patrick Lyoya and the trial of Christopher Schurr, click here.