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Opening Statements Begin In Noor Salman Trial

Noor Salman (L) and counsel Linda Moreno (R). Photo: Charles Treadwell
Noor Salman (L) and counsel Linda Moreno (R). Photo: Charles Treadwell

With a jury in place, opening statements begin Wednesday in the trial of the Pulse gunman’s widow.

It is now up to prosecutors to prove Noor Salman knowingly helped her husband in the attack the killed 49 people and left more than 50 injured. Shooter Omar Mateen pledged his allegiance to ISIS during calls to police negotiators. Salman is charging with providing material support to a terrorist organization and obstruction of justice.

The prosecution and defense will deliver opening statements – a legal roadmap of each side’s arguments.

The court spent more than a week selecting the final 12 jurors and six alternates. U.S. District Judge Paul Byron interviewed more than 100 potential jurors.

The witness list remains sealed, but some were identified during jury selection. The county’s medical examiner and Mateen’s former supervisor at a security firm will testify, along with others.

The trial is expected to last three weeks. Salman faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Brendan Byrne is Central Florida Public Media's Assistant News Director, managing the day-to-day operations of the newsroom, editing daily news stories, and managing the organization's internship program. Byrne also hosts Central Florida Public Media's weekly radio show and podcast "Are We There Yet?" which explores human space exploration, and the weekly news roundup podcast "The Wrap."