The first hearing of the Mehserle murder trial in Southern California took place on Friday January 8, 2010. The 7am gathering and press conference in front of the L.A. Superior Court Building was in many ways a meet-and-greet between the newly formed LA Coalition For Justice for Oscar Grant and representatives from Oakland.
The Oakland coalition originally formed itself out of a spontaneous rebellion when Mehserle, a BART police officer, shot Oscar Grant in the back execution style last New Year’s day. The coalition and the Oakland community insured, through a relentless effort, that the cop would be tried for murder and not a lesser charge.
When the trial was moved to Los Angeles after the Mehserle defense argued that he couldn’t obtain a fair trail in Alameda County, the Los Angeles community banded together in a show of strength to show solidarity with the Oakland coalition and the family of Oscar Grant in order to guarantee a conviction of the police officer. From the Newswire:
1ST HEARING FOR OSCAR GRANT/MEHSERLE MURDER TRIAL by Anna Kunkin | | LA Coalition for Justice for Oscar Grant Press Conference, 1/8/09: photos and full audio by dave id
Update from the LA Coalition for Justice for Oscar Grant: Report from inside (and outside) court room - The People vs. Johannes Mehserle
Police Murder Trial: Community Demands for Justice for Victim Oscar Grant.