The Alex Dillabough Centre in Battleford has been transformed into a makeshift jury room, where more than 700 people have been summoned for jury selection for the trial of a Biggar-area farmer accused of shooting a First Nations man to death in the summer of 2016.
Gerald Stanley, 56, stands accused of second-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Colten Boushie. Today, the jury for the long-anticipated trial is being selected.
It is a packed room. The process for selection is simple, but it will take time, likely all day. People who have connections to the case or know people involved in the trial will be excused. Others who have a bias, health problems or can’t afford to take time off work for two or three weeks will also be excused.
Then, lawyers will select from the remaining pool. In Canadian law, it’s a random process. Numbers representing prospective jurors go into a box and are drawn out randomly. Lawyers can then accept or reject the prospect. By the end of the day, a 14-person jury will be selected, which includes two alternates.
We will begin to learn more about the case tomorrow morning, when the lawyers will present opening arguments, giving a summary of what they will attempt to prove and how.
This racially-charged case began on August 9, 2016 when Colten Boushie and a group of friends drove onto the Biggar-area farmyard owned by Gerald Stanley.
They had lost a tire and were driving on a rim. An altercation followed, three shots were fired, two into the air and one that struck Colten Boushie in the head. Those facts are contained in police documents used to obtain search warrants.
Stanley is on trial for second-degree murder, with the Crown alleging he intended to kill when he shot Boushie. The jury will have the option of accepting that premise, convicting him of the lesser charge of manslaughter or finding him not guilty.
Evidence in the case will be heard beginning tomorrow. It is up to the defence to determine if Gerald Stanley will testify on his own behalf. There will be no prior notice.
The prosecution on the other hand, will provide a list of witnesses it will call.
(PHOTO: Colten Boushie. Photo courtesy of Facebook.)