The trial of Persia Nelson – a 26-year-old mother accused of leaving her daughter for dead in a Schenectady drainage pipe last year – has begun.
Tuesday marked the second day of the trial in which the prosecution and defense screened potential jurors in the Schenectady County Courthouse.
Many of the attorneys’ questions revolved around the use of alcohol, asking l how jurors could tell if someone was intoxicated or have they ever experienced not remembering how they got home after a night of drinking.
One of the prosecutors – Christina Tremante-Pelham – told jurors’ that there would be a lot of discussion surrounding alcohol and its effects on decision making and judgment.
Nelson was charged with murder, manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child after police discovered her 11-month-old infant – Halo Branton – unresponsive with water up to her neck on General Electric’s Schenectady campus last year. An autopsy revealed that Branton had died of hypothermia and exposure.
Opening statements will be given on Wednesday.
