Jury selection begins in first criminal case against Cleotha Abston
Cleotha Abston (middle) appeared in Judge Louis Montesi’s courtroom for his arraignment on Sept. 6, 2022. Abston has been charged with raping Alicia Franklin and killing Eliza Fletcher. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
Abston’s attorney previously tried to have jurors from Davidson County used in the trial, arguing that excessive media coverage of the Eliza Fletcher case would taint a potential local jury pool.
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Cleotha Abston Alicia FranklinAarron Fleming
Aarron Fleming covers Memphis and Shelby County’s court system and is a member of The Daily Memphian’s public safety reporting team. He formerly covered education and earned his B.A. in journalism from the University of Memphis.
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