The Kingsport (Tenn.) Times-News
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Twelve jurors and three alternates will arrive in Lebanon to begin hearing the murder trial of a Maryville woman accused of running down two Wilson County lawmen with a stolen car.
Jurors were sent home Tuesday evening to make arrangements for a trial expected to last seven to 10 days, including Saturday. They boarded a bus for Lebanon on Wednesday morning.
“We will get started (Wednesday) afternoon,” Wootten told them. “We’ve inconvenienced you and I want to get started.”
Fallon Tallent, 22, is charged with first-degree murder and vehicular homicide in the July 9, 2003, deaths of Wilson County Sheriff’s Deputy John Musice, 43, and Mount Juliet Police Sgt. Jerry Mundy, 49.
The lawmen were killed on Interstate 40 near Lebanon when Tallent, who had a history of running from police, tried to drive around spike strips placed on the road during a cross-state chase. The 1986 Mercedes she was driving veered off the road and struck the two lawmen.
Publicity prompted Wilson County Circuit Court Judge John Wootten Jr. to select a jury in Sullivan County, nearly 220 miles away.
More than 200 potential jurors arrived Tuesday in Blountville for the daylong process. Ten were excused for age, medical, financial or family reasons. Eight were removed because they had religious beliefs against judging someone, they couldn’t sentence someone to life without parole or the specifics about the case tainted their opinion.
A few potential jurors knew about the case but none said it would make them impartial or prevent them from weighing all the evidence.
The 15 chosen are a mix of professional and skilled workers.
“It’s a good cross-section of Sullivan County,” Wilson County District Attorney General Tommy Thompson said. “We thought everything went well (Tuesday) and it was run efficiently.”
In questioning jurors, lawyers David Boyd and Craig Garrett suggested some avenues of Tallent’s defense.
Thompson objected when Boyd asked jurors about the appropriateness of high-speed chases and if someone driving an alleged stolen car warranted such pursuit. The judge sustained Thompson’s objection.
Boyd also asked jurors to pay close attention to testimony about the training and policies for deploying spike strips like those thrown in Tallent’s path. Garrett suggested the officers’ actions may have caused their deaths, not Tallent.
If convicted on the murder charge, Tallent faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.