Darryl Roberts enters courtroom
The jury selection process in the case involving the downtown murder of local businessman Chris Wright will start all over after “the wrong sheet” was read to the just-chosen jurors late Wednesday morning.
Selection of a new panel will be April 14.
Judge Boyd Patterson interrupted the reading by the court bailiff during the swearing in of the panel after noticing it was not the correct version.
Darryl T. Roberts is charged with first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a weapon. The murder trial was to be heard first by the jury. If Roberts were to be convicted of the murder, the jury then would hear evidence about the gun case in a second trial immediately after the first.
However, wording about the gun charge was read to the jury inadvertently.
Mike Little of the Public Defender’s Office, soon after the interrupted reading, said he heard the words “convicted felon” prior to the judge shutting off the reading.
“We are requesting a new jury panel,” he said.
The state initially sought to have the trial go ahead with the selected jurors. The jurors had just been chosen after an arduous process that began early Tuesday afternoon.
Judge Patterson sent the chosen jurors for lunch while planning to reconvene afterward and decide whether to continue.
After lunch, there were more attorney meetings before the judge announced that a new jury would be selected.
He said this jury was not officially sworn in before the proceedings were halted.
Judge Patterson said under the law the trial could have gone on, but he said it would be better to start over “to make sure that both sides get a fair trial.”
A Vanderbilt University licensed clinical psychologist testified Tuesday that she concluded that Roberts suffers from Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (PTSDF).
Dr. Kimberly Brown took the witness stand at a hearing prior to jury selection. Judge Patterson excluded the testimony, saying it was not helpful to the jury in connection with the defense’s “state of passion” theory of the case. He said Dr. Brown could testify as a lay witness, but not as an expert.
Questioning at the hearing by Public Defender Steve Smith indicated the defense was focusing on a voluntary manslaughter case rather than the life sentence that would be imposed with a first-degree murder conviction.
Dr. Brown said she studied legal filings in the case as well as interviewing Roberts by video last Oct. 2 for two and a half hours.
She said she concluded that his mental health issues did not rise to the status of not being competent to stand trial.
The witness said Roberts had been receiving mental health treatment for as far back as 2014 and had been placed in the local Mental Health Court. She said the PTSD was related to an incident in 2013.
Dr. Brown said those with PTSD tend to get angry quickly and be hyper vigilant and easily startled.
Police said Roberts fatally shot the victim on Sept. 28, 2023, following an argument in the 1000 block of Market Street in front of the Patten Towers (former Patten Hotel).
At 11:51 p.m., officers responded to a shots fired call that was upgraded to a person shot. When officers arrived, they found the 38-year-old victim with a life-threatening gunshot wound.
Chattanooga Fire and Hamilton County EMS responded to the scene. The victim died from his injuries.
Police reviewed video of the incident and said Roberts was in a red shirt and dark-colored pants talking to another man near a stairwell at Patten Towers. They said the video showed Chris Wright walk past the two men, then turn back to talk to them. He then walked away from them about 30 feet south, then again turned toward them but did not approach them.
Roberts then walked toward Chris Wright, produced a gun, and shot him in the head at close range. The victim fell to the ground.
This article was originally published by a www.chattanoogan.com . Read the Original article here. .