Defense Attorneys Release Letter After Ferrell Family Press Conference
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CHARLOTTE, NC — Attorney crossfire begins before the jury is even seated in the case of CMPD Officer Wes Kerrick who shot and killed an unarmed Jonathan Ferrell ten times.
Officer Kerrick’s attorneys now firing back after Ferrell’s family civil attorney Christopher Chestnut uttered these words Monday:
“From a legal analysis, I think the video tells a story, that dash cam tells the story. So if the jury sees that I’m convinced they’ll come back with a guilty verdict,” said Chestnut.
He also said during the press conference, “If I were a defense attorney and had this evidence against me, I would have plead.”
Officer Kerrick’s attorneys George Laughrun and Michael Greene wrote Tuesday in a statement: “…ANY attorney should know that ALL citizens of the United States of America have the 6th Amendment right to a trial by jury.”
To see the full statement, click here.
During the Ferrell family’s Monday press conference, Chestnut maintained that Ferrell was on his knees saying “no” when Officer Kerrick shot him.
Officer Kerrick’s attorneys rebutted in their statement, writing: “We are deeply troubled that an officer of the court would distort the truth in order to sway public opinion and taint a jury pool.”
The letter gives their argument of how the shooting happened. They wrote, “We are confident that at trial, the medical examiner will give sufficient reasoning for the positions of both men and will be able to give an expert, non-biased and credible explanation of the shots fired as Jonathan Ferrell was on top of Officer Kerrick attempting to obtain his service weapon.”
Whether dash cam video captured that moment isn’t clear. CMPD has only shown it to Ferrell’s family and attorneys on each side of the case. The judge hasn’t decided whether it will be public during trial.
WCCB Charlotte Legal Contributor James Ferguson says attorneys on both sides should be careful about influencing the public or jury. “What’s critically important is whether anything is taking place that will affect the outcome of the trial other than the evidence as it presented in court,” said Ferguson.
Ferrell’s family says they will release a statement in response to the defense’s letter. We will post it when it becomes available.
