Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. Closing arguments in the Johannes Mehserle murder trial will take place Thursday now that both the prosecution and defense have rested their cases, the Chron and Trib report. The prosecution finished its rebuttal case yesterday follwing the testimony of a friend of Mehserle’s who said the ex-BART cop never mentioned after killing Oscar Grant that he meant to Tase him and not shoot him. Instead, Mehserle kept saying of Grant, “I thought he had a gun, I thought he had a gun.” Law enforcement officers are trained to not use Tasers if they believe a suspect has a firearm. Also, the jury is off today as the defense and prosecution argue key motions in the case. Among them is a defense request that the jury only be given the choice of murder or acquittal — and not be allowed to convict Mehserle of voluntary or involuntary manslaughter.
