Racial tensions erupt in court- Spectator Yells out "Where are the Black Jurors?

Courtroom spectators in a nearly packed Grant Superior Court 1 erupted in tears and shouts after a 12-person jury found a 28-year old Marion man guilty of dealing drugs. "Where are the black jurors?" someone called from the back of the courtroom after Judge Jeffrey Todd read three guilty verdicts. Friends and family members, many of whom were present for the duration of the two-day trial, reacted emotionally after Nyeusi McCreary  was convicted on a Class A felony count of dealing in cocaine over 3 grams and two Class A misdemeanor counts of resisting law enforcement. Several courtroom spectators attempted to leave the courtroom, but Grant County sheriff's deputies prevented people from leaving until after the jury was escorted from the building. McCreary, sensing the tension in the courtroom, shouted, "I love y'all. ... Don't do nothing stupid." Judge Todd said courtrooms aren't sterile environments, especially when a defendant is facing a Class A felony. McCreary, who is African-American, as were all of the courtroom spectators, reacted to a verdict rendered by a jury comprising 12 white people. As spectators shouted, "Where's the justice?" and "Where are the black people?" McCreary told them repeatedly to calm down.[more ]