Jury selection begins in Tupac Shakur murder trial

Duane “Keffe D” Davis is on trial for the 1996 shooting death of Shakur in Las Vegas.LAS VEGAS (CN) — Duane “Keffe D” Davis, accused in the Las Vegas shooting death of Tupac Shakur three decades ago, appeared Monday before the men and women who will compose his jury.Davis, 63, went on trial for murder Monday, though jury selection is expected to take a week. Jurors are expected to begin hearing evidence Aug. 17.The trial, expected to last about four weeks including jury selection, has drawn national attention because of Shakur’s influence on music. His death has been the subject of books and documentaries, some of which feature Davis.Jurors are expected to hear about Davis’ role as a shot caller for the Southside Compton Crips, detailed in his 2019 book, “Compton Street Legend.” The 2019 book recounts events leading to the deaths of Shakur in 1996 and Christopher Wallace, known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, in 1997.Davis wrote in his book that he was in a car with his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, when Anderson fatally shot Shakur near the Las Vegas Strip in 1996.Anderson denied involvement and died in a 1998 shooting in Compton, California.Davis has pleaded not guilty.Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and a current civil attorney not involved in the case, told Courthouse News that celebrity trials require extensive jury selection.“People have some pretty strong beliefs as to who was responsible,” Rahmani added. “When you have those preconceived notions, you’ve really got to ferret them out.”Rahmani expects attorneys to screen about 100 potential jurors to seat 12 and several alternates. The trial’s length could also create hardships for potential jurors with work or child care obligations.Attorneys must also determine whether jurors’ views on Shakur, the hip-hop community, law enforcement or gangs could disqualify them.“It’s just going to take a while,” he added.Shakur’s death has been hotly debated for decades. Rahmani said there likely would have been no trial without Davis’ statements about the shooting.“Everyone else in the car is dead,” Rahmani said.Clark County Judge Carli Kierny appeared to say that at a hearing last week. Davis’ attorney, Michael Sanft, argued jurors shouldn’t hear a 2008 statement Davis made to Los Angeles authorities, saying Davis only spoke because authorities offered him immunity.Kierny said both sides’ cases stem from the statement. Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo said he knew of no non-prosecution agreement.Davis has made conflicting public statements about the shooting. He once said he wasn’t in Las Vegas when Shakur was shot, but a prosecutor said Davis placed himself at the scene in his 2008 statement, BET’s “Death Row Chronicles” and his bookIn June, Kierny ruled that jurors could hear about Davis’ time as a shot caller that’s detailed in his book.Davis’ case has wound through the court system since his arrest in 2023. Accused of a 2024 jailhouse fight, Davis was convicted of misdemeanors and sentenced to 16 to 40 months in prison. He unsuccessfully appealed for a new trial over potential juror misconduct.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads