Llera v. LVMPD: DAY 1

Yesterday, Monday, October 20th, was the first day of the case against LVMPD seeking justice for Jorge Gomez at the Federal Courthouse. Yesterday included the press conference, jury selection process, and expectation-setting for the trial. 

Press Conference

Jeanne Llera, Jorge Gomez’s mother, standing side-by-side with other mothers of impacted families, discussed the need for holding the officers accountable and setting the standard that no family should ever have to suffer at the hands of police violence. She also emphasized that Jorge is a catalyst for change, inspiring many of us in the fight for justice with his story and his desire to take action during his life. 

The conference was covered by local news outlets like ABC Channel 13. You can find full coverage of the press conference here:

Jury Selection

The first day of the trial was focused mostly on the jury selection process. The judge went through several jury candidates, asking questions about whether they had family in law enforcement, had bias either for or against the police, or if they had a criminal background. The judge excused any jurors who had a bias either for or against the police. 

After a few hours of reviewing possible members of the jury, the court settled on nine jurors for the case. It’s notable that the jury is an all-woman jury, consisting predominantly of white women, but also featuring several members who are mothers themselves.

Beginning of the Case

Jury selection took up the majority of the day, so the official beginning to the case will start today. The deadline to submit any exhibits for the case was at 4PM, yesterday. The deadline to send any objections to exhibits from the defense was 7pm. 

The judge also stated that Jorge’s family must file a brief for wrongful death damages. The court then dismissed the case early today, giving Jorge’s family the chance to file the brief emphasizing that the family is entitled to financial damages for the pain and suffering caused by Jorge’s death. 

The defense will argue that the family does not have a right to receive damages. However, this is up to the jury to decide. 

The trial officially starts today. Opening statements will begin in this morning, followed by testimony from John Squeo, Vernon Ferguson, and Andrew Locher. Each officer will have a set amount of time for cross-examination from both the plaintiff and the defense. The plaintiff and defense will get between 90 minutes and two hours to cross-examine each. 

All five officers responsible for the murder of Jorge Gomez were inside the courtroom today. Community support is vital for showing that our numbers are stronger and justice for their actions that night is deserved.

Come Support! 

We were honored to see 50 people show up and pack the courtroom yesterday. We’re grateful for all the support from the community, and we’re hopeful for justice at the end of this trial. The trial is expected to last 6-7 days and will take place from 8:30am to 4pm each day at the Federal Courthouse at 333 Las Vegas Blvd., so please show up and offer support if you can! 

If you are planning to join, we recommend wearing business casual clothes, and please be careful with your phone, as the court has been very strict and has removed several people for using their phone. We hope to see you!

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Llera v. LVMPD: Daubert Hearing