GROVES, Texas — Jefferson County jurors are preparing to rule in the murder trial of a Groves man accused of strangling another man.
Jarvis Cutten, 45, is accused of strangling Delvin Dewayne Simon, 33, at the Amber Park Apartments in Groves after the two spent the night watching football last year.
Opening statements were disrupted briefly Tuesday afternoon by an outburst in the courtroom, where a jury was listening to the defense attorney spell out what to expect in the trial.
Judge John Stevens halted proceedings in the trial after the outburst and told everyone in the courtroom that nothing that disrupts the trial will be tolerated. Opening statements then continued.
A probable cause affidavit says Cutten told police he was forced to defend himself after Simon threw the first punch. The scuffle ended when Cutten strangled Simon. The jury this week will decide if evidence shows Simon's death happened in self-defense.
Murder trial testimonies continue Wednesday
A medical expert took the stand Wednesday morning. She testified that the deceased had caffeine, nicotine, and three different kinds of marijuana in his system when he died.
The defense asked why none of the drugs administered by EMTs did not show up on the report, and went on to ask if these didn't show up, couldn't the deceased have been on synthetic marijuana without detection?
The expert said drugs administered on a person who is dead would not show up in the report because there is no circulation and went into technical reasons why synthetic should show up on a report.
Murder trial testimonies continue Thursday
A police officer took the stand Thursday. Defense Attorney Langston Adams asked the officer if marijuana had been found on Delvin Dewayne Simon the day he was killed. The officer said it was.
Adams then asked if it was tested to see if it was synthetic, and the officer testified that it had was not tested.
Cutten told police the night he was arrested that he was forced to defend himself after Simon threw the first punch. Bodycam video from the night of his arrest was played in court.
Cutten could be heard on the video saying he believed Simon had used synthetic marijuana before the alleged attack. The prosecution rested after the officer's testimony. The defense will begin its case when proceedings resume.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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