Jury selection in the trial of a man accused of killing a Hamilton County sheriff's deputy last year is expected to wrap up before noon Oct. 7, the judge overseeing the case said as the second day of questioning potential jurors was ending.
Jurors will then be taken to the intersection near the University of Cincinnati where Rodney Hinton Jr., on May 2, 2025, drove into Deputy Larry Henderson as he was handling traffic control for a graduation ceremony. Opening statements will follow.
Hinton, 40, faces charges including aggravated murder. Prosecutors say he intentionally drove into Henderson, hours after viewing police body camera video that showed his 18-year-old son, Ryan, being shot by a Cincinnati police officer.
The trial, in Hamilton County
Common Pleas Court, will focus on Hinton's mental state at the time. He has been diagnosed with both schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder. As one of Hinton's attorneys, Clyde Bennett II, was questioning jurors, he said: "I think this case is about mental illness − that's it."
Hinton's attorneys are seeking a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity − meaning that because he is mentally ill, he didn't know the wrongfulness of his actions at the time.
Prosecutors have pointed out during questioning that someone can have a mental illness and still know right from wrong.
Testimony along with opening statements and closing arguments are expected to take two weeks.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Jury in Rodney Hinton Jr. murder trial expected to be finalized Oct. 7
