Opening statements were scheduled today for the trial of two men in the May abduction and robbery that paralyzed downtown Savannah and the Olde Pink House Restaurant.
Kevin Dale Brooks, 27, and Brian Jones, 24, are on trial in Chatham County Superior Court on armed robbery and related charges in the May 17 abduction of a third man that resulted in a gunshot being fired by police at Bull and Broughton streets.
Each man has pleaded not guilty.
Eight women and four men were selected Wednesday as jurors in the case that is expected to last into Monday.
Chief Judge Michael Karpf earlier denied a motion by Jones’ attorney to sever the cases for trial.
Both men was charged with robbing Earl Hamilton of jewelry by use of an offensive weapon, burglary, and false imprisonment of Hamilton and his 12-year-old son.
Jones is charged with theft by taking of a Cadillac SUV owned by Hamilton’s girlfriend, Erica Grant.
Brooks alone is charged with kidnapping the elder Hamilton and possession of cocaine.
Assistant District Attorney Jerry Rothschild contends the pair were targeting drug dealers and intended to rob Hamilton of drugs and money when they broke into his home at 1108 Milton St. late May 16.
During the ensuing hours, police said Hamilton and his son were held overnight at gunpoint at their home, then Brooks forced Hamilton the next morning to drive his silver Jaguar downtown to get money from a credit union, police said.
Hamilton alerted Savannah-Chatham Detective Trina Mayes at Bull and Broughton streets of his plight. Mayes fired a gunshot into the car and Brooks fled, dropping a stolen pistol in Johnson Square as he ran to the basement at the Pink House on Reynolds Square, where he barricaded himself inside until police with a K-9 forced his surrender after a three-hour standoff, police said.
Meanwhile, police went to Hamilton’s home where Jones was holding Hamilton’s son. Jones backed the SUV out of the garage before wrecking it on a utility poll and fleeing into nearby woods where he was arrested, police said.
Before jury selection began Wednesday, Jones complained to Karpf that he had not been offered a plea deal by prosecutors and was being forced to trial.
“I don’t understand why I can’t get a deal,” he told Karpf.
“We’re not making him an offer,” Rothschild responded.
Rothschild took over the case under the Major Case Division. An earlier plea offer had been rejected by the defendant.
The exchange followed Assistant Public Defender Bob Attridge telling the judge his client wanted to fire him for failing to get a plea offer.
“I take it you don’t want to discharge your lawyer,” Karpf asked Jones.
When the defendant did not answer, Karpf said he would take that silence for agreement and proceeded with jury selection.
