Jury Selection Begins in Jacksonville Teen Murder Trial, Defendant Pleads to Weapons Charges
Larry Taylor, 19, pleaded guilty to weapons charges but maintained his innocence on three murder counts as his trial got underway in Morgan County.
Jury selection got underway Monday morning in Morgan County court in the murder trial of 19-year-old Larry Taylor, who faces three counts of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 18-year-old Trenton Jackson on East College in Jacksonville in early June 2024.
The day before jury selection began, Taylor entered guilty pleas during a status call to aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a handgun. He stood by his not guilty plea to the murder charges, setting the stage for a trial that hinges on sharply competing accounts of what happened that day on East College.
Taylor's defense appears to rest on a claim that Jackson had a violent history and a pattern of weapons use, and that Taylor fired in self-defense. That argument carries a significant evidentiary question into the courtroom: Judge Chris Reif has deferred ruling on whether limits will be placed on the introduction of Jackson's juvenile record, saying he will decide after hearing trial evidence.
Judge Reif also tightened courtroom security ahead of the proceedings, barring bags, cell phones, and electronic devices from the courtroom. Jury selection was scheduled to begin around 10 a.m. on March 10.
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