Jury pool for Golsby trial begins to shrink
It didn’t take long for a potential juror to be eliminated from the pool of those being considered to hear the death-penalty trial of the man accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering an Ohio State University student.
A retired lawyer who was among the first group of six people questioned Monday morning by prosecuting and defense attorneys said he was so “tainted” by pretrial publicity that he doubted he could be an impartial juror for the defendant, Brian L. Golsby.
The man said he wasn’t “100 percent” certain that he could set aside his “preliminary conclusion” that Golsby is guilty in the Feb. 8, 2017, slaying of 21-year-old Reagan Tokes.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott excused the man at the request of Prosecutor Ron O’Brien, according to Dispatch courts reporter John Futty.
Another man in the first group of six was excused by the judge after he appeared to waver on whether he could properly follow the law in determining whether the death penalty is the appropriate sentence if Golsby, 30, is convicted of a capital crime.
The attorneys began Monday with a pool of 167 people from which to select 12 jurors and six alternates.
The judge expects to spend up to a week trying to identify at least 50 to 60 people who haven’t been influenced by pretrial publicity and would be able to follow the law regarding imposition of the death penalty.
Once the potential jurors have been screened for knowledge of the high-profile case and attitudes about the death penalty, a more traditional jury-selection process will be conducted.
Testimony is expected to begin the week of March 5.
Police sergeant must go to firefighting school
In a fairly new tradition, Columbus police officers and firefighters faced off during a hockey match over the weekend to support a nonprofit group that supports first responders, including awarding scholarships to the children of downed officers and firefighters, as well as youths wishing to pursue first responder careers.
“Last year we played two games approximately a week apart. We won the first one at the (Schottenstein Center), but they won the second one at Nationwide Arena,” said Columbus Division of Fire Battalion Chief Steven Martin. “I think it could be anybody’s game on any given day. Saturday belonged to us.”
Firefighters shut out police officers 4-0 Saturday evening during the second annual First Responder Face-Off.
Some pride was on the line: Martin and Columbus Police Sgt. Dean Worthington made a friendly wager that the loser would have to do training for the other division if their team lost.
“I’m sure you’re going to have to put out a fire, or give someone CPR, or something,” Worthington said, adding it will likely be while wearing heavy gear and a breathing apparatus. He anticipates it will be a “day full of sweating and misery.”