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Opening Statements Expected Monday In Thomas Johnson Trial

Opening statements are scheduled for Monday in the trial of the man charged with killing Rochester Police Officer Daryl Pierson.

The final seven jurors were selected on Friday for the trial of Thomas Johnson III,  the man accused of fatally shooting Pierson last September.

There are now a total of 18 jurors, 12 for the jury and six alternates.

 The 39 year old Johnson faces six criminal charges. They include aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder and assault. If convicted of aggravated murder, Pierson would face a sentence of life in prison without parole.

The death of the 32 year old officer was the first fatal shooting of a Rochester Police officer since 1959.

District Attorney Sandra Doorley and defense attorney James Hinman will start to lay out their cases to the jury on Monday.

Doorley is trying to show the shooting death of Officer Pierson was intentional. Hinman is not denying that his client shot Pierson, but he says the defense will try to prove that Johnson is not guilty of the particular charges against him.

State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Moran is presiding at the trial which could go about a month.

WXXI's Veronica Volk will be covering opening statements, follow her on Twitter @VeronicaWXXI

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.