(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The trial for a man accused of killing Chicago Police Officer Ella French will begin in February — and in a pretrial decision this week, a Cook County judge made a decision that has the defense worried.
Police officers will be able to wear full uniforms in court while Emonte Morgan stands trial for the fatal shooting of French, which took place during a traffic stop in August 2021.
The Sun-Times reported that this decision came despite opposition from the defense, which had asked the judge to bar officers from “creating a sea of blue” in the courtroom due to concerns that it would intimidate the jurors.
In making the decision, Judge Ursula Walowski said, in part, that she is not going to tell people what they can and can’t wear in the courtroom.
The judge added that it’s a public courthouse, and it would not be unusual for jurors to see uniformed police attending a trial for a slain officer.
In October 2023, Eric Morgan pleaded guilty to charges connected to French’s fatal shooting and was sentenced to seven years in prison. The 25-year-old is Emonte Morgan’s brother and was accused of driving the SUV.
A third man, Jamel Danzy of Hammond, Ind., was sentenced in December 2022 to 2-and-a-half years in prison after he pleaded guilty making an illegal straw purchase of the handgun used to kill French.
WBBM’s Brandon Ison and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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