Trial begins again on Monday for Andre Rolle, who is accused of murdering Miami Police Detective James Walker. Rolle faces life in prison if convicted. Regardless of the outcome, Mr. Rolle also faces up to 50 years in prison after being convicted at trial in two separate robbery cases during the past year.
Lawyers are scheduled to deliver their opening statements at 10 a.m. Friday before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez.
In June, the judge declared a mistrial after a dispute erupted between lawyers over whether prosecutors properly turned over to the defense a transcript of testimony from a key witness.
In the murder case, according to prosecutors, Rolle had been looking to kill a rival who had stolen a pistol from him.
That night, a gang associate driving a white Ford Taurus dropped Rolle off in an alley in North Miami Beach, and Rolle ran over and sprayed bullets in the block where he believed his target was.
Rolle returned to the alley and, spying a white Ford Taurus, tried to get into the car, according to the state.
But the car actually belonged to Walker, a soft-spoken domestic-crimes detective who was off duty and had just pulled in to park his car and visit his estranged wife.
Walker rolled down the window and pointed his service pistol at Rolle. The defendant later told a friend that he “intentionally opened fire” on Walker until “the magazine was empty.”