Content warning: This article 

contains the use of graphic sexual 

language.

The jury trial for Peter Chen, 

former professor of electrical 

engineering and computer science 

at the University of Michigan, 

began Monday morning at the 

Washtenaw County 22nd Circuit 

Court in downtown Ann Arbor. 

Chen is charged with criminal 

sexual 
conduct 
in 
the 
first 

degree, defined as an act of sexual 

penetration with a victim under 

the age of 13, a felony punishable 

by life in prison. The case filing 

states that the offense began on 

April 1, 2017. The alleged victim, 

who is a minor, is set to testify in 

the trial later in the week. Chen is 

pleading not guilty. 

Originally set to begin in 

January 2022, the trial was 

delayed several times before 

commencing 
Nov. 
28. 
Judge 

Darlene O’Brien, the judicial 

officer presiding over the case, 

said she anticipated that the trial 

would take four to five days.

Amy 
Reiser, 
Washtenaw 

County’s assistant prosecuting 

attorney, 
is 
representing 
the 

prosecution, the People of the 

State of Michigan. Reiser was 

accompanied by Sergeant Dawn 

Murphy from the Ann Arbor 

Police 
Department. 
Attorney 

Mariell Lehman is representing 

Chen, the defendant.

The first day of the trial 

consisted 
primarily 
of 
jury 

selection, in which 12 jurors 

were to be chosen from a pool 

of 
approximately 
four 
dozen 

to sit on the panel. During the 

jury selection process, the judge 

and both attorneys questioned 

the jury pool to determine who 

would be suited to deliberate the 

case. 

O’Brien asked potential jurors 

about 
any 
prior 
experience 

serving 
on 
juries 
and 
any 

previous familiarity with the 

case or the parties involved. 

Jurors also answered questions 

regarding 
any 
circumstances 

that might prevent the potential 

jurors from being impartial, such 

as being or knowing a sexual 

assault victim or someone who 

had been charged with assault. 

Many of Lehman’s questions 

regarded the possible jurors’ 

relationships with their children, 

as well as their stance on whether 

a child would lie about or have 

false memories of an impactful 

event. 

Reiser explained to the pool of 

jurors that because there was a 

delay between when the offense 

allegedly occurred and when the 

alleged victim reported it, no 

DNA evidence would be provided 

by the prosecution. Reiser asked 

potential jurors if they would be 

able to return a verdict without 

DNA evidence and based solely 

on the testimonies of the alleged 

victim and the witnesses.

Throughout 
the 
selection 

process, 
O’Brien 
excused 
a 

few seated jurors for cause. 

Several others were excused 

via a peremptory challenge, in 

which either party’s attorney can 

dismiss a possible juror without 

needing to provide a reason.

After Chen was placed on 

administrative leave in early 

2021, Engineering Dean Alec 

Gallimore wrote in an email to 

CSE students that there was 

no indication of a connection 

between Chen’s career at the 

University 
and 
the 
criminal 

charge. 

In a Jan. 2021 statement to The 

Michigan Daily, Lehman said 

Chen denied the claims made 

against him.

“On January 26, 2021 Mr. Chen 

was made aware of the criminal 

sexual conduct allegations that 

had been made against him,” 

Lehman wrote. “He completely 

denies the allegations and has 

cooperated fully with the Ann 

Arbor 
Police 
Department 
to 

assist them in their investigation. 

Mr. Chen is confident that the 

truth will prevail and that he will 

be exonerated fully. Mr. Chen 

thanks the numerous people who 

have reached out in support of 

him over the last few days.”

As 
is 
the 
case 
with 
all 

criminal jury trials in the state of 

Michigan, all 12 jurors must come 

to a unanimous verdict by the end 

of the trial.

The trial will resume at 8 a.m. 

on Nov. 29.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
2 — Wednesday, December 7, 2022

 Jury trial begins for former CSE 
professor Peter Chen

Pioneer High School closed due to social 
media threat

PUBLIC SAFETY

Computer Science faculty member charged with criminal sexual 
conduct

District leaders urge parents to warn children about dangers of 
online rumors

The Division of Public Safety 

and Security at the University of 

Michigan released a statement 

on Wednesday regarding several 

home invasions between Nov. 20 

and Nov. 27 in the Burns Park area 

south of Hill Street.

According 
to 
the 
release, 

residents of Burns Park reported 

to 
the 
Ann 
Arbor 
Police 

Department various items were 

stolen 
from 
their 
residences 

following their return from the 

holiday break. DPSS said there are 

no known suspects, and there is 

evidence that homes were entered 

by force.

DPSS asked the Ann Arbor 

community to reach out with any 

known information.

“If 
you 
have 
information, 

please contact the Ann Arbor 

Police Department Tip Line at 

(734) 794-6939 or tips@a2gov.

org,” the statement said.

DPSS 
said 
it 
strongly 

encourages 
students 
to 
store 

valuables out of plain sight, 

utilize timers for lights and 

other electronics, keep windows 

and doors locked and report any 

suspicious behavior or incidents. 

Burns Park sees rise in home invasions

PUBLIC SAFETY

DPSS: students leaving their residences over Thanksgiving break 
returned to break-ins

RACHEL MINTZ
Daily Staff Reporter

NEWS

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Ann 
Arbor 
Pioneer 
High 

School 
was 
closed 
Tuesday 

due to a threat made on social 

media, according to a news 

release from Ann Arbor Public 

Schools 
(AAPS). 
The 
news 

release stated that a threat was 

made Monday evening and that 

classes were canceled out of “an 

abundance of caution.” Pioneer 

is one of four primary high 

schools in Ann Arbor, and this 

decision will impact its nearly 

2,000 students.

In 
an 
email 
to 
students 

obtained by Click on Detroit, 

AAPS Superintendent Jeanice 

Swift said the district is working 

closely with law enforcement 

to determine the source of the 

threat. 

“The Pioneer and our District 

teams, working in partnership 

with the Ann Arbor Police 

Department, continue to work 

vigorously through a thorough 

investigation 
of 
this 
matter 

today, and we will hold those 

involved 
responsible,” 
Swift 

wrote.

This is the second time that 

classes have been canceled at 

Pioneer in two weeks, with the 

school closing on Nov. 21 due to a 

problem with a water main. Like 

many districts, Ann Arbor has 

received social media threats in 

the past. AAPS closed all of its 

schools for a day last December 

after several threats were made 

in the wake of the shooting at 

Oxford High School that left four 

dead. The threat comes a day 

shy of the one year anniversary 

of the Oxford shooting, which 

occurred Nov. 30, 2021.

Swift encouraged community 

members to take an active role 

in 
protecting 
their 
schools 

and urged students to report 

concerns 
to 
school 
or 
law 

enforcement authorities.

“Parents 
should 
speak 

with their students regarding 

the seriousness of posting or 

spreading social media rumors,” 

Swift said. 

AAPS and AAPD did not 

immediately respond to requests 

for comment.

LEVI HERRON
Daily Staff Reporter

Ellie Vice/Daily

 College of Engineering freshman Ishika Gupta laughs as she skates around the CSG ice rink on Monday night. 

IRENA LI
Daily Staff Reporter

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