Trial for Paul Kendrick begins in Pennsylvania on Tuesday

The trial for Paul Jawon Kendrick is set to begin on Tuesday in Somerset, Pennsylvania. He is accused of killing corrections sergeant Mark Baserman in 2018. A jury of 12 people, along with four alternates, was selected after a five-day process that involved questions about their views on life and death. Kendrick, who is 29 years old, was already serving a life sentence for a previous homicide when the incident occurred. The fatal assault took place at SCI-Somerset, and Baserman, 60, died two weeks later from severe head injuries. Another corrections officer was also injured during the attack. The trial is expected to last two weeks or more, according to Judge Patrick Kiniry. Prosecutors aim to convict Kendrick of first-degree murder, which could lead to the death penalty. Kendrick's defense team is challenging the charges and plans to present evidence about his traumatic past if he is convicted. Prosecutors will also introduce eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage related to the incident. The jurors have been instructed not to talk about the case or seek outside information while the trial is ongoing. Judge Kiniry emphasized that all necessary information will come from the trial itself.