Weather delays jury selection in ex-officer's trial
By John Joyce
Published in News on February 24, 2015 1:46 PM
Jury selection will not resume in Wayne County Superior Court today due to weather.
The process began with a pool of 85 potential jurors assembled in courtroom No. 4 Monday for the statutory rape case against former Goldsboro Police Capt. Chad Calloway.
Superior Court Judge Kenneth F. Crow of Craven County is presiding.
Calloway is charged with statutory rape of a child under the age of 16 by a person more than six years older, indecent liberties with a minor and sexual offenses by a person in a parental role, according to court documents.
Calloway maintains his innocence and is being represented by local defense attorney Geoff Hulse.
Kimberly Overton and Rachel Larsen, state prosecutors from the Conference of the District Attorneys of N.C., began questioning potential jurors at 2 p.m. Monday, a process which will carry over into today's proceedings until 12 jurors and at least one alternate are impaneled.
Ms. Overton cautioned jurors not to presume Calloway's guilt or innocence until they have heard all of the testimony, seen all of the evidence and received all of the judge's instructions regarding the law.
She asked each potential juror about their own families -- if they had children, stepchildren or grandchildren -- and if any of those children did or still do live at home with them.
Mrs. Overton then asked the potential jurors if they felt one could still love someone who had hurt them, prompting one juror to reveal a son's struggle with drugs.
She said the alleged victim, now 28 years old and married and who was present in the courtroom, did not hate the man she is accusing of raping her.
And she might have foreshadowed potential testimony when she asked jurors if they were familiar with the phrases, "What goes on in the family stays in the family" and "We will let the Lord handle it."
Several witnesses were also named during Monday's portion of jury selection and included family, clergy and fellow law enforcement officers known to both Calloway and the victim.
By 3 p.m., only one juror had been excused, let go on the grounds that he had been represented in the past by Hulse.
Crow barred cameras from the courtroom and instructed the media not to question potential jurors or any of the parties affiliated with the case while the trial is ongoing.
Jury selection resumes Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.