Van Dyke Murder Trial: 12 Jurors, 5 Alternate Jurors Sworn In
CHICAGO (CBS)-- The jury is set in the murder trial of Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke. 12 jurors and five alternate jurors have been chosen. One big question still remains: will a jury even hear this case?
Van Dyke's lawyers will announce tomorrow whether they will opt for a bench or jury trial.
One black juror was chosen to sit on the jury that could determine the fate of Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, who is accused of killing black teenager Laquan McDonald.
The 12th juror was chosen Thursday in the murder trial of Van Dyke, charged with the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.
Three alternates out of four were selected by Monday at 2:30 p.m.
The jury is composed of seven whites, three Hispanics, one African-American and one Asian-American.
Juror 12: A white male with a degree in nuclear engineering
Juror 11: A white female in her 30's employed as a CT scan technologist
Juror 10: A Hispanic person
Juror 9: Hispanic woman
Juror 8: White woman
Juror 7: White male
Juror 6: African American woman who appears to be in her 50s. Works as a FedEx driver
Jurors 1-5 (Selected Monday): Three white people, one Asian-American man and one Hispanic woman.
Of the five alternate jurors: Two are white, one is African American, one is hispanic, and the race of one alternate is unknown; but she is a woman of color.
Under Illinois law, Van Dyke can unilaterally switch to a bench trial. According to the judge's order, Van Dyke will have to decide tomorrow whether to let a jury or judge decide his fate.
CBS 2's Jim Williams is at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse with live updates.
