No Black Jurors Selected in the Case of Oscar Grant, a Black Man, Killed by White Police Officer, Johannes Mehserle

No black jurors selected for case in which black man, Oscar Grant, shot to death by a white white police officer, Johannes Mehserle.

How is it possible to seat a jury in the murder of Oscar Grant, who is black, at the hands of former police officer Johannes Mehserle, with no black jurors? A Los Angeles County judge, late Tuesday, officially seated a jury made up of eight women and four men. The jury consists of seven Caucasians, four Hispanics, one east Asian. How is that representative of the black community? Considering that the case hinges on race, it is a slap in the face that there are no black jurors in this case. It's beginning to sound a little like Emmett Till's case. Johannes Mehserle shot and killed Oscar Grant on a Fruitvale BART platform early Jan. 1, 2009. Mehserle claimed he thought he was using his Taser when he shot Grant. Really? So, that excuse should be accepted and Oscar Grant's death should mean nothing? Crazy.

But race has been and is expected to continue to be a key component in this already highly charged trial. The trial could be considered the most racially polarizing in California since the acquittal of four white Los Angeles police officers accused of beating Rodney King. That verdict was read in 1992 and lead to days of riots.

Reporters outside the courthouse said the Grant family and their legal team were visibly upset by the news of the jury's seating. Tuesday was the only day potential jurors were questioned. They reported to court last week, but went home after filling out a questionnaire. Source

How the defense team was able to pull off disqualifying all the potential black jurors is disturbing. They intend to use Oscar Grant's criminal record during the trial, according to NBC Los Angeles. That record reportedly includes a case of resisting arrest. It still doesn't give the police officer a right to pump so many bullets into an unarmed man. It is safe to state if there is an acquittal in this case, we will see another Rodney King-type response. Opening statements are slated to commence Thursday morning.