Twelve jurors and three alternates were selected Tuesday to sit on the jury of San Diego's next high profile court case involving a San Diego police officer.
Officer Frank White faces up to nine years in prison if convicted of felony weapons violations stemming from an off-duty confrontation with a female motorist.
After jury selection was completed, White walked out of the courtroom with his wife and other family members by his side. His defense attorney said he still had not decided whether to put the officer on the stand when it is the defense's turn to call witnesses.
The shooting occurred in March 2008 in an Oceanside parking lot when Rachel Silva allegedly became involved in a road rage incident with the officer, who was driving with his wife.
According to testimony at the preliminary hearing, Silva, who was with her 8-year-old son at the time of shooting, chased the officer, blocked him in and clipped his car with hers.
The defense, however, maintains that White fired his weapon when he believed he and his wife were in danger.
Silva and her son were shot but recovered. She is expected to plead the Fifth Amendment if called to testify, given the legal problems she still faces for her alleged role in the incident.
Jury selection is always a critical part of the process, but especially so for a case that has received as much media attention as White's. The vast majority of potential jurors told the court that they had heard something about the case prior to being summoned. The jurors will now be asked to put those experiences aside and keep an open mind.
Opening statements are set to begin first thing Wednesday morning. The trial is expected to last at least a couple of weeks.
