The murder trial of the man accused of assassinating rapper Nipsey Hussle has started in Los Angeles after a three-year hiatus caused by the Covid epidemic.
In Eric Holder's trial, jury selection began on Thursday morning.
In connection with the shooting death of Nipsey Hussle in March 2019, he's been charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, and a slew of other offenses.
Airmiess Asghedom, whose rap name is Nipsey Hussle, was shot and killed minutes after speaking with Holder outside of his Marathon clothing store on Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard.
The pandemic delay, said criminal attorney Rachel Fiset, might potentially complicate the case.
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"Witnesses may forget things, witnesses' memories become hazy, people move away, that's generally the issues with a longer trial," Fiset said.
A three-year trial delay isn't unprecedented, according to Fiset, and might have given both sides extra time to prepare their cases.
However, she adds that in order to convict Holder of first-degree murder, prosecutors will have to persuade the jury that the shot was premeditated.
"I believe there was a six-minute delay between [Holder] talking, leaving and coming back," said Fiset. "That could be considered the premeditation for a first degree murder charge."
Hussle's death came as a shock to the South Los Angeles community, where he grew up and was well-known and respected not just as an artist, but also as a businessman and philanthropist.