DALLAS — Jury selection begins Thursday in the federal civil case against former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger.
The trial is expected to last three days.
Guyger shot and killed Botham Jean in his home in 2018. She testified at her 2019 trial that she mistakenly thought he was an intruder in her apartment.
Guyger was convicted of murder and is serving a 10-year sentence.
Originally, Guyger was representing herself in the civil case. But she has waived her appearance and will not be present for the trial or jury selection so no one will be present representing her side.
Four lawyers representing Jean took part in a 30-minute pretrial hearing before District Judge Barbara Lynn. No one was there to represent Guyger
Jean's family filed the lawsuit in 2018. The city of Dallas was named as a defendant, contending that the city inadequately trained Guyger, but the city was later dismissed as a defendant.
The parole board also recently rejected Guyger's request to be released on parole.
Jean died on September 6, 2018, in his own apartment after being shot and killed by Guyger, who had just gotten off work. Botham, a 26-year-old accountant, and St. Lucia native was eating a bowl of ice cream at the time.
At her 2019 trial, Guyger testified that she believed – wrongly -- that he was an intruder in her apartment. Guyger lived in an apartment above Jean. She'd mistakenly parked on the wrong floor of the parking garage. She missed the signs at the wrong apartment, including his red floor mat. But a malfunctioning door lock ultimately allowed her to get in.
"It was an honest mistake made by her, and the fact that that door opened just added to the horrible confluence of events," said Toby Shook, one of Guyger's defense attorneys, during an anniversary piece aired by WFAA earlier this month.
Guyger's murder charge and trial captivated Dallas and the nation. At its core, the circumstances were that of a horrific accident -- but Jean also did not deserve to die for simply enjoying the comfort of his own home.
The Botham Jean Act became law in 2021. Officers must wear body cameras to keep them turned on when an investigation involves them since it became law.