CONTINUING COVERAGE: Oscar Grant Murder Trial

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Posted by Youth Radio Editor on June 1, 2010 at 03:43pm

Courtroom coverage: OAKLAND & LOS ANGELES--Former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the New Year's Day 2009 murder of 22-year old Oscar Grant. Sentencing will take place August 6th.

This post will update with the latest headlines, and you can read on for our previous coverage of the case. We've broken down our previous coverage into the following themes: The Case , Citizen Journalism, Impact, and Protests.

Updates

Posted on July 13, 2010	Business Owners Don't Blame Cops For Their Broken Windows Protesters took over downtown Oakland as soon as the verdict in the murder trial of former BART officer Johannes Mehserle was announced. Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
	Oakland's Next Move: A Chess Move In the wake of the Johannes Mehserle verdict, people in Oakland were mad, others were very mad, and most everybody was confused.
	Zumbi Gets Reactions From Downtown Oakland Bay Area hip hop duo Zion were among the hundreds protesters and members of the community on the day of the Mehserle trial verdict. Zumbi of Zion I captured footage from the protests in downtown Oakland.
Posted on July 12, 2010	Awaiting Justice In Mehserle Sentence For the past few weeks, talking to my friends about the Oscar Grant shooting trial, the long conversations were always the same: Everybody wanted a second degree murder verdict for Johannes Mehserle, a white police officer who was accused of shooting Grant, an African American, on New Year's Eve in 2009. But everyone assumed acquittal was coming.
Posted on July 9, 2010	Out-Of-Towners Represent Majority of Arrested Protesters OAKLAND-Both the mayor and the police chief are pleased, overall, with the outcome of civil protests in Oakland last night: only 78 people arrested, and three-fourths of them from outside the city.
	Face Of Slain BART Rider Reappears In Oakland As the Judge finished giving his instructions to the jury in Los Angeles, as if it was a signal, store owners in downtown Oakland began boarding up their windows. Within hours many storefronts pasted a silkscreen poster of Oscar Grant on their windows... some already boarded up with plywood.
	The Tense Moment Before LOS ANGELES-- Less than an hour before the first rumors that a verdict was coming down I knew something was up.
	Oakland Barbershop Stays Open During Protests In downtown oakland, in the hours before the verdict was announced in the oscar grant murder trial, stores were boarded up and employees were sent home early. However one barbershop stayed open, and this is their story.
	A Night In Pictures- Downtown Oakland After the Verdict OAKLAND-Youth Radio photographers were out in the streets from the hour the verdict was read, taking pictures of the story that unfolded when disappointed Oakland residents and other protesters heard that Johannes Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Oscar Grant.
	Police, Protesters Clash, Windows Crash in Downtown Oakland OAKLAND-Police far outnumbered protesters, some of whom professed to be anarchists, last night in demonstrations that began peacefully after an involuntary manslaughter conviction was announced in the Johannes Mehserle trial, and later turned ugly.
Posted on July 8, 2010	Jean Quan: "At Least...There Will Be Some Time Done" OAKLAND-Mayoral candidate Jean Quan, reacting to the verdict in the Mehserle case, says she feels like Oscar Grant family lawyer John Burris: "At least...some time will be done," by former BART cop Johannes Mehserle in Grant's killing.
	More Protest Pictures from Downtown Oakland Post-Verdict DOWNTOWN OAKLAND- Dismayed and angry protestors took to the streets in downtown Oakland Thursday after Johannes Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Oscar Grant.
	Young Woman Hit By Police Car in Downtown Oakland OAKLAND-A young woman was hit by a police car in downtown Oakland tonight as crowds gathered to protest the involuntary manslaughter conviction in the Johannes Mehserle trial.
	Downtown Oakland After the Verdict OAKLAND- There's scattered violence in downtown Oakland this evening as crowds gather to protest the involuntary manslaughter conviction in the trial of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle.
	Residents Evacuate Downtown Oakland Before the verdict in the murder trial of Johannes Mehserle was announced, residents of Oakland began evacuating en mass. Here is an interview with a family as they're leaving Oakland.
	Jehannes Mehserle Verdict LOS ANGELES--Former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of unarmed BART passenger Oscar Grant. Sentencing will take place on August 6th.
	Oscar Grant Murder Trial: Glimpse of Insight? LOS ANGELES-- A question that came out of Friday’s deliberations in the Oscar Grant murder trial has become a focal point for speculation about what is being discussed in the jury room.
	Oscar Grant Murder Trial: When No News Is Good News LOS ANGELES-- After days of false starts, illnesses, and doctor's appointments, the jury in the murder trial of former BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle for the shooting death of Oscar Grant is embarking on an entire day of deliberations.
Posted on July 7, 2010	Oscar Grant Murder Trial: Jury Barely Begun LOS ANGELES --With closing arguments completed five days ago, there has yet to be a full day of deliberations in the murder trial of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle for the New Year’s Day 2009 shooting of Oscar Grant.
	Mehserle Jury Adjourns This Morning LOS ANGELES -- The jury in the trial of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle will only be in deliberation for two hours today, beginning at nine a.m. The jury will adjourn at 11 because Juror Number 3 has a doctor's appointment.
Posted on July 6, 2010	Oscar Grant Murder Trial Judge Worries About "Erroneous" Coverage LOS ANGELES -- The judge presiding over the Oscar Grant murder trial expressed "great concern" about how inaccurate media coverage of the trial is affecting community sentiment in Oakland, where Grant's shooting took place.
	Juror Sick - No Verdict In Oscar Grant Trial Today LOS ANGELES - Deliberations have been postponed today in the Oscar Grant case because a juror called in sick. Jurors began deliberating Friday afternoon, in the case of murder trial of Johannes Mehserle, the former BART cop who shot 22 year-old Grant on New Year's Day 2009.
Posted on July 2, 2010	Renaming Fruitvale BART Sation? Youth Radio's Pendarvis Harshaw talks to Mayor Ron Dellums about renaming Fruitvale BART station in honor of Oscar Grant.
	Oscar Grant Jury Deliberating According to the public information office at the LA Superior Court, video equipment was installed in the jury room at 1:15 and deliberations began at 1:40. Youth Radio's King Anyi Howell was inside the courtroom today. Check out his video describing Judge Perry's the instructions to the jury.
	Oakland Storefronts Post Image of Oscar Grant: Support or Safety? Youth Radio's Pendarvis Harshaw talks to some local business owners about the Oscar Grant "Demand Justice" posters up in their storefronts to see if the posters are hung up to truly support Oscar Grant's family or to just protect their stores from possible vandalism in the anticipated protests in Downtown Oakland.
	Police Chief Says Oscar Grant Trial Is Defining Moment For Oakland On New Year's Day in 2009, then-BART Transit officer Johannes Mehserle shot and killed an unarmed 22-year-old man named Oscar Grant.
	Oscar Grant Murder Trial: Mehserle's Defense Finishes Closing Arguments LOS ANGELES-- Michael Rains, attorney for former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle who is standing trial for the murder of passenger Oscar Grant, finished his closing arguments this morning in the court room of Judge Robert Perry.
	Morning in the Courthouse [Oscar Grant Case] LOS ANGELES-- A family gathers around a formica countertop, dressed in muted versions of their Sunday best, finding smiles and laughs where they can over warm eggs and bacon on styrofoam plates. If not for the location, you might think this was any middle class African American family who had stopped off for breakfast at a lackluster diner.
Posted on July 1, 2010	L.A. Judge Worries About Trial’s Impact In Oakland The judge in the trial of a former transit cop accused of murdering a 22-year-old passenger in Oakland said he worries that at times his rulings have been misrepresented by Bay Area media outlets.
	Youth UpRising: Violence Is Not Justice! Oakland's Youth UpRising produced a PSA saying "Violence Is Not Justice!" in anticipation of the verdict in the Oscar Grant Murder Trial going on now in Los Angeles. BART Officer Johannes Mehserle shooting Oscar Grant on New Years Eve in 2009. The case is going to the jury on Friday.
	Oscar Grant Murder Trial: Prosecution Gives Closing Arguments Closing arguments were held today in the murder trial for Johannes Mehserle. Reporter Anyi Howell is inside the courtroom where Alameda County District Attorney David Stein finished giving his final argument.
Posted on June 30, 2010	Oscar Grant Case - Mehserle Facing A Range Of Charges LOS ANGELES - Was it a tragic accident or a deliberate act of aggression? That’s the question facing the jury in the trial of Johannes Mehserle, an ex Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer accused of murder. Closing statements are expected Thursday. Mehserle, 28, is on trial for the murder of Oscar Grant III, an unarmed black male.

June 24: Oakland: Road To Riot? Rumors, Speculation Fuel Fear-- OAKLAND-- With a gag order over the murder trial of Johannes Merhserle for the shooting death of Oscar Grant III, speculation and raw disinformation have filled the void to stoke fears of a major riot in Oakland after the announcement of the verdict.

June 22:

Inside the Courtroom -- Johannes Mehserle Trial Day 8-- LOS ANGELES-- Defense attorney Michael Rains called Alex Hidas as the first witness. Hidas is a San Leandro police officer who tried to arrest Grant during a police stop in 2006. Rains’ opening strategy seems to focus on putting Oscar Grant’s character on trial.

June 21:

Inside the Courtroom -- Johannes Mehserle Trial Day 7-- LOS ANGELES-- Deputy District Attorney David Stein called several Bart employees to the stand this morning, including the train operator who had transported Oscar Grant and his friends to the Fruitvale Station.

June 20:

Inside the Courtroom--Johannes Mehserle Trial Day 6-- LOS ANGELES-- Former BART officer Anthony Pirone took the stand on Friday in the case of The People Vs. Johannes Mehserle.

June 17:

Inside the Courtroom -- Johannes Mehserle Trial Day 5-- LOS ANGELES-- Former BART police officer Marysol Domenici began her testimony on Thursday in the trial of Johannes Mehserle. Domenici was the second officer to arrive at the Fruitvale BART station before Oscar Grant was killed.

June 16:

A Tale of Two Cities-- Even before you saw the faces of the protestors in Los Angeles, you saw the face of Oscar Grant—it was featured across a big banner. But there was something I noticed immediately: the date of Grant’s death was wrong.

PODCAST: Trial Watch: Inside the Courtroom with King Anyi Howell-- EPISODE THREE: The trial is on break today, giving us a chance to talk with our man inside the court room, King Anyi Howell, about what he's seen in the trial so far.

June 15:

Inside the Courtroom -- Johannes Mehserle Trial Day 4-- What's interesting is that Judge Perry ruled that no cameras, computers, or audio recorders are allowed in the courtroom to capture the trial of former BART officer Mehserle, who stands trial for the murder of Oscar Grant. But it makes me wonder – if he’s so interested in accurate reporting, why not allow the media one audio recording?

Public Needs to Pay Attention to Mehserle Trial-- In the first few days of Mehserle's trial, the video of Grant's shooting has played repeatedly. It is not an easy thing to make sense of what happened that night and why. It is not an easy thing to sit in court with Grant's family.

PODCAST: Trial Watch Episode Two-- Guest Host Noah Nelson talks with correspondent Denise Tejada in Los Angeles about the trial's developments on Day Four. Including another juror dismissal, sloppy reporting from a major Bay Area news organization and more.

New Videos From The Mehserle Trial-- On Monday community members, kids, students, parents, and community organizations gathered outside the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center to re-enforce their call for justice in the murder case of Oscar Grant III.

June 14:

Protestors Gather Outside Johannes Mehserle Trial-- Approximately 60 protesters lined the sidewalk Monday morning outside of L.A.'s Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, protesting what some say is a court biased against the family of Oscar Grant, an Oakland man who was shot in 2009.

WATCH: L.A. Protest Outside Johannes Mehserle Trial-- VIDEO

PODCAST: Trial Watch Episode One-- Host Pendarvis Harshaw talks with correspondent Denise Tejada with updates from the day's events in the murder trial of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle in the shooting death of Oscar Grant.

June 10:
From Oakland to Los Angeles: A High Profile Trial Begins-- All eyes are on Judge Robert J. Perry’s Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday as opening statements start in a controversial murder trial.

June 9:
Guide to the Daily Mehserle/Grant Trial Tweet-Chat-- We will be hosting a tweet-chat with reporters and observers of the Johannes Mehserle trial at 12:30 PM PDT every day that court is in session. F.A.Q. within.

Jury Selection Finalized In Former Officer's Murder Trial-- The jury in Mehserle’s trial consists of eight women and four men--seven are white, four are Hispanic, and one is Indian.

June 2:
Jury Selection Kicks Off in Officer's Murder Trial-- Two hundred potential jurors will be called to the Los Angeles County Courthouse on Wednesday for the first round of jury selection.

Call for Questions: Mehserle Trial/Oscar Grant Case-- What do you want to know about the trial? send us your questions on Twitter @youthradio, or leave them on the wall at the YMI fan Page on Facebook.

June 1:
Justice For Oscar Grant Continues-- Youth Radio spoke to Rachel Jackson, organizer with the Oakland Assembly and New Year’s Movement for Justice, on the importance of keeping this case alive.

The Shooting:

Reports on the shooting, and on the case against former officer Mehserle as it developed.

In the early morning hours of New Year’s Day 2009, chaos erupted at the Fruitvale BART station. After a night of celebration, partygoers were heading home -- including 22-year-old Oscar Grant. BART police were called into the Fruitvale station in response to reports of a fight on a train coming in from San Francisco. Officer Johannes Mehserle was one of the officers restraining the individuals believed to be involved in the fight. While attempting to restrain Oscar Grant, Mehserle drew his gun and shot Grant once in the back. Grant later died at Highland Hospital. Alameda County prosecutors charged Mehserle with murder. He has resigned from his position and pled not guilty. His lawyers say that Mehserle was attempting to tase Grant, but mistakenly pulled out his gun instead. Grant had been unarmed.

Johannes Mesherle Faces Murder Charges
Judge decides to go on with the Mehserle murder trial.

More on the Oscar Grant shooting

Citizen Journalism:
Our coverage of your coverage.

Other BART travelers captured the events on camera. This footage played a major role in the calls for the prosecution of former BART officer Mehserle on murder charges. One of these citizen journalists was 19-year-old Karina Vargas. Vargas turned over her camera footage to the police and was later called to testify as a witness in Mehserle’s trial.

Oscar Grant: Eyewitness Karina Vargas [VIDEO]
Interview plus footage taken on BART platform the night of the shooting.

An Eye For Truth
Karina Vargas' video is at the center of Oakland's Oscar Grant controversy.

Other Posts on Citizen Journalism

The City's Impact

Youth Radio's national headquarters is in Oakland. Many of our students and students turned staff-- including trial reporter King Anyi Howell-- call Oakland home. These essays represent their view of the shooting's impact on their community.

Oakland: Road To Riot? Rumors, Speculation Fuel Fear
With a gag order over the murder trial of Johannes Merhserle for the shooting death of Oscar Grant III, speculation and raw disinformation have filled the void to stoke fears of a major riot in Oakland after the announcement of the verdict.

Bout That Action: Oscar Grant Protest