On June 29, several days after his co-defendant pleaded no contest to the 2023 shooting death of a young man, Jaylin Robert Johnson, 23, proceeded with jury selection for his own trial.
Here’s what we know:
What’s the charge? Third-degree felony murder.
Is Johnson in or out of jail? Out of bond.
Who’s the judge? Circuit Judge Steven Rogers.
Who are the lawyers? Assistant State Attorney Adam Smith is prosecuting the case and defending Johnson is Shane Bachman.
About the case: The Ocala Police Department says Jose Valliant, 28, was shot and killed over a marijuana deal that went bad on Nov. 3, 2023.
The deal between David Smith III and Valliant happened in the Burger King parking lot, 2301 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala.
On June 25, pursuant to a plea deal with the state, Smith pleaded no contest to third-degree murder with a firearm and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Three other people were charged with other, lesser crimes in the case.
If convicted what punishment might Johnson face? 15 years in prison is the maximum. The lowest sentence would be a little more than 10 years behind bars.
Any plea offer? No.
How long will the trial last? Three days. Opening statements are set for June 30 and the trial may conclude July 2 or before.
Prosecutor Smith plans to call 19 witnesses to testify, while Bachman has two people ready to take the stand for the defense. It’s unknown whether Johnson will take the stand in his own defense. Two of the possible 21 witnesses will be testifying by Zoom, according to the lawyers.
What happened during jury selection? Forty people sat in the judge’s courtroom and 18 were called to the jury box, where they were sworn in by the court clerk and then questioned by the judge and the lawyers.
The goal was to choose seven jurors: six members and an alternate.
The potential jurors were asked their thoughts about marijuana. Had they had any good or bad experiences with law enforcement, the court system or the state attorney’s office? Had they been called for jury service before? Had they heard anything about the case? Could they follow the law even if they didn’t agree with it?
Among the prospective jurors were teachers, retirees, a former law enforcement official and business owners.
The lawyers eventually agreed on a panel, which was then sworn-in by the court clerk. The judge gave the jury instructions before dismissing them for the day.
The instructions included: Don’t conduct any independent research about the case and don’t talk to anyone about the case.
The judge told them that the trial will start 8:30 a.m. on June 30. The judge also told them he was going to write a letter for their employer excusing them from work.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Jury seated for man accused in Burger King parking lot fatal shooting
Reporting by Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner / Ocala Star-Banner
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner | USA TODAY Network
