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jacquavis k. Williams trial Opening statements to begin today
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Opening statements will begin at 9 a.m. today in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court in the trial of Jacquavis K. Williams, charged with aggravated robbery and felonious assault in the robbery and shooting of the North End Market’s owner one year ago.
Williams, 22, of Palmyra Road Southwest, is accused of shooting Mohammad Darwish on March 12, 2011, during a robbery at the store on North Park Avenue.
Darwish said his attacker shot him without saying a word about a robbery, then asked for money. Darwish suffered gunshot wounds to his wrist and fingers, as well as to his stomach, from the single gunshot.
Last week, Judge W. Wyatt McKay, who is presiding over Williams’ trial, ruled that an audio and video recording of a statement Williams made to his mother in the Warren Police Department could be used as evidence in the trial.
Williams turned himself in to police Aug. 17, 2011, after police issued an arrest warrant, according to court documents. When Detective Wayne Mackey arrived at the police station, he led Williams and his mother from the basement offices of the police station to the detective offices on the first floor.
Mackey left the room, leaving Williams and his mother alone.
Mackey switched on a hidden camera and microphone in the interview room and returned to the room, read Williams his rights and conducted an interview.
Williams’ attorneys argued that the conversation between Williams and his mother just before Mackey entered the room should not be admissible in court because Williams had not yet been read his rights.
The judge’s ruling notes that the evidence police collected that led to the arrest warrant being issued was DNA testing done on a sports-drink bottle the robber brought to the counter with him at the time of the robbery.
Williams’ DNA was a match for the DNA found on the bottle, the ruling said.