Trial Begins in Death of Big Boy (aka Edward the Elk)

Picking a jury for the trial of ex-police officer Sam Carter was apparently difficult - it took all of yesterday and up until today's lunch break at the Boulder County Court House.  The attorneys agreed upon the choice of 8 women and 6 men for the empanelled jury.  Opening statements are scheduled to begin in one hour.  Former Boulder Police Officer Sam Carter is on trial on charges connected to the 1 January 2013 killing of a trophy elk in the residential neighborhood on Mapleton Hill.
  Carter is facing one count of attempting to influence a public official, a Class 4 felony; one count of forgery, a Class 5 felony; and two counts of tampering with physical evidence, Class 6 felonies.  He is also facing misdemeanor counts of first-degree official misconduct, illegal possession of a trophy elk with a Samson Law surcharge, conspiracy to commit illegal possession of wildlife, unlawfully taking of a big game animal out of season, and unlawful use of an electronic communication device to unlawfully take wildlife.
  Big Boy, also known as Edward the Elk, wintered in the Mapleton Hill neighborhood of Boulder for many years.  He was known to enjoy corn and sweet feed that neighbors provided for him during heavy snows.  In the two months before his death, a US Post Office mail man, who delivered on foot in the area, complained twice about Big Boy.  Both times, the large bull was standing on the path to the front porch and refused to move away, so the mail could not be delivered.  The last time, the mail man decided to continue his approach and Big Boy shook his rack at the mail man.  So the elk was reported for "bad behavior."  Residents have stated that if the elk was in front of their porch entry, all they had to do was open the door and the elk would move away.   The morning that Big Boy was shot and killed by Sam Carter, Carter had told the people in residence that the elk was injured and needed to be killed "humanely."   A necropsy showed that the elk was in excellent health.
   They'd never let me on that jury!  I'd want to shoot the ex-officer myself!

Sam Carter posing with Big Boy after shooting him