CINCINNATI — Jury selection began Monday in the murder trial of Rodney Hinton Jr., with attorneys on both sides questioning potential jurors about law enforcement, mental illness, sympathy and their prior knowledge of one of Hamilton County’s most closely watched criminal cases.
Hinton is accused of intentionally driving into and killing Hamilton County sheriff’s Deputy Larry Henderson on May 2, 2025, while Henderson was working a traffic detail near the University of Cincinnati’s commencement.
The crash happened one day after a Cincinnati police officer fatally shot Hinton’s 18-year-old son, Ryan Hinton, and hours after Rodney Hinton watched police body camera video of his son’s death.
Hinton faces five felony counts: two counts of aggravated murder, one count of murder and two counts of felonious assault. His defense is seeking a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Jury pool begins to narrow
The trial began Monday with a pool of 107 potential jurors.
By noon, roughly a dozen had been dismissed for various reasons, including medical concerns and prior commitments that could interfere with their ability to serve during the trial.
After the lunch break, attorneys for both sides began more detailed questioning of those who remained.
During that process, Judge Jody Luebbers dismissed one potential juror for cause over concerns that sympathy could influence the person's ability to decide the case. Another person was also excused for cause.
They were two examples of the central purposes of voir dire, the jury selection process now playing out in court.
Under Ohio's Rules of Criminal Procedure, prospective jurors are questioned about their qualifications and ability to serve. The court may allow prosecutors and defense attorneys to conduct that examination, and both sides can seek to remove potential jurors for cause when there is a legally recognized reason they should not serve.
Unlike a peremptory challenge, which generally does not require an attorney to state a reason for removing a potential juror, a challenge for cause requires a basis for arguing that the person should not sit on the jury. The process is designed to identify potential biases or other circumstances that could prevent a juror from fairly considering the evidence and following the law.
In Hinton's case, those questions are particularly significant because of the attention surrounding the deaths of both Henderson and Ryan Hinton — and because Hinton's mental state at the time of the crash is expected to be at the center of the trial.
Potential jurors were given a questionnaire containing 139 questions before the more detailed questioning in court. Questions covered topics including connections to law enforcement, experiences with mental illness and what potential jurors already knew about the case.
Attorneys also questioned potential jurors Monday about their views of law enforcement, whether previous experiences with police could affect their judgment and whether sympathy for either side could influence them.
Hinton's attorney, Clyde Bennett, told WCPO 9 that finding people who can separate those feelings from the evidence is critical.
"I'm not looking for a jury that is going to be biased in favor of the defense or Mr. Hinton," Bennett said. "I'm looking for 12 individuals from Hamilton County that can be fair and impartial."
Bennett acknowledged the circumstances surrounding Henderson's death could make that difficult.
Henderson was a retired deputy who continued working special details. Prosecutors say Hinton deliberately struck him while Henderson was directing traffic outside UC's commencement.
Bennett called voir dire one of the most important parts of a jury trial, particularly when potential jurors may have already been exposed to extensive coverage of the case.
"I have to make sure that people can set aside those preconceived notions and opinions about what they think happened and only look at the evidence produced at trial and follow the law," Bennett said.
Hinton's mental state expected to be central to trial
Hinton's mental health has been a major issue throughout the case and previously contributed to delays in getting the trial underway.
Earlier this year, the defense awaited an additional evaluation related to its not guilty by reason of insanity claim. Prosecutors argued at the time that the results were critical to how they would prepare for both jury selection and witness testimony.
Bennett told WCPO on Monday that he believes Hinton's actions were the product of mental illness and that his client did not understand the wrongfulness of his conduct.
"I am looking forward to my client being vindicated," Bennett said. "I think my client was of sick mind, and that his conduct was a product of a sick mind."
The insanity defense is separate from whether Hinton is currently competent to stand trial. The question for the jury will center on Hinton's mental state at the time Henderson was killed and whether the requirements for a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict have been met.
Hinton's case initially carried the possibility of the death penalty.
That changed earlier this year after evaluations concerning serious mental illness. Prosecutors stopped pursuing the death penalty, and Luebbers subsequently removed it as a possible punishment. The judge also allowed Hinton's plea to be changed to not guilty by reason of insanity.
What happens next
Jury selection is expected to continue Tuesday.
Luebbers has indicated she hopes a jury can be seated by the end of the day, though the timeline will depend on how quickly attorneys can work through the remaining potential jurors.
Once a jury is seated, jurors are expected to visit the scene where Henderson was killed before returning to the courtroom for opening statements.
The trial itself is expected to last several weeks.
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