Judge denies motion to allow officers to serve on jury for ex-BART officer’s murder trial

Judge: No officers on jury for ex-officer’s trial

LOS ANGELES — A judge has denied a defense motion to allow police officers to be part of the jury pool for the upcoming trial of a former transit officer charged with murdering an unarmed man in Oakland.

Judge Robert Perry denied the motion at a hearing Friday in Los Angeles.

The defense requests to have officers serve in next month’s trial of ex-Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer Johannes Mehserle. However, a state law prohibits peace officers from serving as jurors in criminal cases.

Mehserle is charged with shooting 22-year-old Oscar Grant in the back at an Oakland station on New Year’s Day 2009.

Mehserle has pleaded not guilty. His trial was moved from Alameda County to Los Angeles because of widespread media coverage.