CINCINNATI — After more than two days of deliberation, jurors have been selected in the trial for Rodney Hinton Jr., who is accused of intentionally driving into and killing a Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy back in 2025.
Juror demographic:
- 10 white jurors
- Half are women and the other half are men
- Two Black jurors
- Both are Black women
Four alternates have also been chosen for the jury.
The original hope was to have a jury seated by the end of Tuesday. That did not happen.
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The jury will now visit the place where Hinton was killed before returning to court to hear opening arguments, first from the state, then from the defense.
On Tuesday, attorneys continued scrutinizing potential jurors over their connections to law enforcement, views on mental illness and whether sympathy could influence their decisions.
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.
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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.
The court began the process Monday with 107 potential jurors. About two dozen have been dismissed so far.
Both prosecutors and Hinton's defense dismissed potential jurors Tuesday. Judge Jody Luebbers also excused prospective jurors as the court continued working to find people who could fairly and impartially hear the case.
Attorneys focus on emotion, sympathy during Day 2
Tuesday's questioning offered a closer look at why the process of seating a jury has taken time.
Hinton's attorney, Clyde Bennett, repeatedly focused on potential jurors' emotional reactions to the case, particularly those who have family members in law enforcement.
His questioning centered on whether someone could see how Henderson was killed, have a relative who is a police officer and still put those emotions aside to fairly decide the case based on the evidence and law.
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At one point, Bennett told the jury pool, "A lot of people will say this is political and racial... I don't think race has anything to do with this case."
"I say this case is about mental illness," Bennett later said.
Hinton's mental state at the time of Henderson's death is expected to be central to the trial. His defense is seeking a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.
One potential juror's answers illustrate challenge
One exchange Tuesday illustrated the scrutiny being placed on potential jurors as attorneys work through the voir dire process.
Luebbers raised concerns about one woman's response to a question on the jury questionnaire.
That question asked potential jurors whether, since learning of Henderson's death, they had time to form an opinion about the case.
The woman had written that there was nothing that could justify what happened to Henderson that should end with an acquittal.
When questioned in court Tuesday, however, she said she did not know when she completed the questionnaire last week that jurors would have the option of finding Hinton not guilty by reason of insanity.
A prosecutor asked whether it would be fair to say she had been "pro-state" when she completed the questionnaire. She said yes, explaining she did not view the case as a mental health case at the time the way she does now.
But when prosecutors questioned her further about whether she could put her sympathies aside, she acknowledged she probably could not.
The state asked that she be excused for cause.
Other potential jurors were removed Tuesday as both sides examined whether personal experiences could affect their ability to remain impartial. The defense dismissed one prospective juror whose nephew is a police officer. Another prospective juror whose husband is a firefighter was dismissed for cause after concerns were raised about whether sympathy could influence her.
What is voir dire?
The back-and-forth is part of a process known as voir dire, during which prosecutors, defense attorneys and the judge examine prospective jurors to determine whether they can fairly hear a case.
Potential jurors in Hinton's trial completed a 139-question questionnaire before individual questioning began.
It asks about topics including connections to law enforcement, experiences with mental illness and what potential jurors already knew about Hinton's case.
Attorneys can also explore potential biases during questioning and ask that someone be removed for cause if they believe there is a legally recognized reason the person cannot fairly serve.
That's different from a peremptory challenge, which generally allows either side to remove a potential juror without establishing the same basis required for a challenge for cause.
The process has been particularly extensive in Hinton's case because of the attention surrounding the deaths of both Henderson and Ryan Hinton and because Hinton's mental state at the time of the alleged crime will be a key issue at trial.
Bennett told WCPO 9 on Monday that he expected finding an impartial jury to be challenging.
"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 said voir dire is particularly important in a case where people may have already formed opinions about what happened.
"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.
Mental illness expected to be central to trial
Bennett has said the defense intends to argue Hinton was suffering from mental illness at the time and did not understand the wrongfulness of his actions.
"I am looking forward to my client being vindicated," Bennett told WCPO 9 on Monday. "I think my client was of a sick mind, and that his conduct was a product of a sick mind."
The question of Hinton's mental state at the time of Henderson's death is distinct from whether he is competent to stand trial.
The case previously carried the possibility of the death penalty, but prosecutors declined to continue pursuing that option, and Judge Jody Luebbers took it off the table earlier this year.
The trial itself is expected to last several weeks.
