Mar 31, 2008 9:11 pm US/Central
Sex Assault Trial Of Ex-Gopher Player To Begin
(WCCO)
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Jurors for his trial should be in place by Tuesday, with opening arguments likely to begin on Wednesday. (File)
Jury selection began on Monday in the trial of Dominic Jones, a former University of Minnesota football player was kicked off the team last summer after he was charged with sexual assault.
At one point Jones was a rising star on the football field, but over the next couple week's cameras will have a different reason to follow him. Jurors for his trial should be in place by Tuesday, with opening arguments likely to begin on Wednesday.
How Jones got to court can be traced back nearly one year ago.
- On April 6, 2007 an 18-year-old woman flagged down a University of Minnesota police officer to report that she had been sexually assaulted. She said the assault had occurred at least two days before.
- Three months later on July 16, Jones was charged with sexual assault. He is accused of having sex with the woman while she was unconscious at a party.
- On July 17, he was released from jail on $25,000 bail.
- On July 18, Jones was kicked off the Gopher football team by Coach Tim Brewster.
The alleged sexual assault occurred at former teammate Robert McField's apartment. Prosecutors said someone at McField's party took cell phone video of Jones finishing a sex act on the woman.
Law professor Peter Erlinder said the key to the case could be how jurors perceive the cell phone video.
"It will play a big role because both the prosecution and defense will have to put that snip-it from the cell phone into the context of the larger occurrence to have the jury understand what it means," said Erlinder.
McField will testify in Jones' trial in exchange for immunity for a misdemeanor charge of providing alcohol to a minor. McField is currently in prison in Missouri for armed robbery. The alleged victim is also expected to testify.
On Monday morning potential jurors filled out surveys for both the prosecution and defense to look at. Half of the jurors will return to court Tuesday morning, the other half will return Tuesday afternoon for questioning.
Jones is on trial for felony third degree criminal sexual conduct. Judge Marilyn Rosenbaum has instructed attorneys for both sides not to speak with the media while the trial is taking place.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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