Lawyers from the defense and the prosecution chose 14 Marion County residents on Oct. 5 to hear the case of a man charged with murdering another man on a school property in Citra in 2024.
The jurors won't be sequestered during the trial, which could last the rest of the week.
Here's what we know:
Which judge is presiding? Circuit Judge Barbara Kissner Kwatkosky.
Who are the lawyers? Assistant Public Defenders Julia Williamson and Sean Gravel for the defense. Assistant State Attorney Toby Hunt, with assistance from Cyndi Henry, paralegal, for the state.
What's the defendant name? What is he charged with? Roderick Kelvin Watson Jr., 36, is charged with first-degree murder with a firearm.
About the case: Watson was arrested in May 2024 after he was accused
of fatally shooting and beating 32-year-old Joseph James Juarez Coles in the North Marion Middle School parking lot.
At the time, the school was hosting an end-of-year awards ceremony inside. The ceremony was attended by parents and students.
If convicted, what sentence does Watson face? Life in prison.
Since the shooting, has Watson been in or out of jail? In jail without bail.
Was there a pre-trial plea offer? None from the state. The defense offered prison sentences of 10 years or 20 years; both proposals were rejected.
How long will the trial last? It's expected to finish Oct. 9.
How many people were summoned for jury duty? Three hundred for felony and other trials, court officials said. According to the clerk's office, 105 of the 300 reported for jury duty.
For Watson's trial, the judge and the lawyers agreed to call 50 potential jurors to the courtroom. The state and defense each had 10 strikes. The lawyers wanted 14 people: 12 jurors and two alternates.
What happened at jury selection? The court clerk called 18 people to the jury box and they swore an oath to tell the truth. The potential jurors were questioned by the judge and the attorneys.
They came from communities including Belleview, Summerfield, Weirsdale, Ocala, Anthony and Fort McCoy. Their occupations included nurse, restaurant server, retail and service managers, and an inspector.
Once the lawyers and the judge finished questioning the panel, everyone was excused from the courtroom for 10 minutes so the attorneys could make their selections.
Eight of the 18 were removed. The lawyers agreed to release at least six of the eight who told the court they could not be fair jurors because the incident occurred near or on a school campus.
Another 18 were called and the process was repeated. The parties eventually were able to settle on 14 people: nine men and five women.
What happened after jury selection? Jurors were sworn in by the court clerk, given their instructions, and dismissed for the day.
What's next? The trial begins Oct. 6 at 9 a.m. with opening statements and the state's case.
More than a dozen witnesses, most of them law enforcement officials, could take the stand for the prosecution. The defense plans to call some of the prosecutor's witness during its presentation.
There was no word on whether Watson would testify in his own defense.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Trial for man accused of fatal shooting outside North Marion Middle
