RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – Monday morning the jury selection got underway inside Richmond's John Marshall Courts Building. The woman on trial is Robin Mines. She is facing one charge for robbery and one charge for murdering Edward Lee Bowmer, 60, on Christmas Eve. The prosecution entered a null process for the additional murder charge in the killing of Robin Clapp, 56. That means at this time the Commonwealth's Attorney will not proceed with the additional murder charge.
Mines was emotional as the process began to choose the 12 men and women that would ultimately decide her fate.
During the jury selection, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Christopher Jones told the potential jurors Mines is not accused of pulling the trigger, that led to the death of Bowmer and Clapp. Instead Attorney Jones said Mines' son, Jamal Clemons, is the person that allegedly shot the two inside a home in the 800 block of North 35th Street. But Jones said because Mines took part in an alleged robbery that ended in the double homicide, she too would be held liable for what happened Christmas Eve 2011.
What started off with 23 potential jurors was narrowed down to the final 12, plus an alternate. The jury consists of four African American men, four African America women, three Caucasian men and one Caucasian woman.
Richmond Circuit Judge Beverly Snukals told the jurors because of the limited number of witnesses, to include the alleged triggerman Jamal Clemons, the trial would likely last one day. Judge Snukals also reminded the jury Mines is not facing the death penalty. But if Mines were found guilty of homicide she could receive life in prison.
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