Mehserle Trial Jury Deliberates
Mehserle, a former BART police officer, is on trial for the New Year's Day shooting of Oscar Grant, an unarmed black man, at the Fruitvale BART station platform
No mention was made of a sequestered jury or about how long the deliberations would last.
An hour's notice will be given once the verdict is reached or if the jury decides they cannot agree on a verdict.
After three alternate jurors are taken to another room, the 12 jurors will try to reach a unanimous verdict.
The jury is expected to deliberate until 4 p.m., go home for the weekend and return Tuesday since the Fourth of July holiday will be observed Monday.
Defense attorney Michael Raines in his wrap of closing arguments gave 18 points of that he considers should show that Mehserle is not guilty of all three charges against him, including Mehserle's demeanor after the shooting and his character before the shooting.
Prosecutor David Stein in his rebuttal brought out a statue of Lady Liberty and told the jury they must weigh the facts without prejudice.
Stein believes he has met the burden of proof to convict Mehserle and that his guilt in the case is beyond reasonable doubt.
Mehserle showed some signs of life in the courtroom. Previously he had sat with his eyes down appearing to be unemotional, with the exception of his tearful second day on the witness stand. During Friday's closing arguments Mehserle glanced at the jury each time they entered the courtroom and gave his attorney a hug as he finished arguments.
If you want a KCBS text message when the verdict is announced text the word ALERT to 45227.
