Attorneys are questioning potential jurors for the retrial of an Alabama police officer accused of badly injuring an Indian man during an encounter earlier this year.
About 70 would-be jurors answered questions both in open court and in the judge's chambers today in preparation for the second trial of 27-year-old Eric Parker.
The Madison police officer is charged with violating the civil rights of 58-year-old Sureshbhai Patel during an encounter in a suburban neighborhood in February.
Jurors deadlocked during Parker's first trial in September, and a judge declared a mistrial.
Parker testified that Patel resisted before he knocked him down, causing partial paralysis and other injuries.
Evidence showed Patel doesn't speak English, and he testified through an interpreter that he didn't intend to resist.
The Tuscaloosa Veterans Administration will be hosting an Open House for Project Search this evening.
Damon Stevenson is the Public Affairs officer for the VA. He says Project Search will help provide students with real work experience
“Project Search is a project that gives experience to students with disabilities which could range anywhere from autism to Down syndrome real world employment experience they can put on their resumes and use to get a real job once they finish school.”
The event will be held tonight at 6 pm in building 4 Auditorium at the VA Hospital in Tuscaloosa.
The Alabama Environmental Conference is being held this week.
The goal of the conference is to educate business owners and workers about energy efficiency and sustainability in the workplace.
Jason Brasfield is the Associate Director of Environmental Programs for Safe State Alabama. He says 40 technical sessions will occur at the conference about things like air, water and waste, energy efficiency and process improvement.
“That’s kind of the idea behind the conference is going a little bit beyond compliance, and making environmental sustainability, environmental programs a positive part of the business environment.”
The event is being hosted by the University of Alabama’s College of Continuing Studies, the Manderson Business School and the state’s productivity center. It runs through Wednesday in Orange Beach.