Courthouse disturbance after guilty verdict in Modesto murder case

Officers on Friday were called to quell a disturbance outside the Stanislaus County Superior Courthouse after a guilty verdict was announced in a 2013 west Modesto shooting. The disturbance prompted authorities to briefly close the street alongside the building.

The jury found Justin Anthony Banks guilty of murder in the shooting of Sir Jay Taylor. The 25-year-old man was shot May 30, 2013, on Maple Street in west Modesto. Police have said the defendant and the victim knew each other.

Taylor died at a Modesto hospital the following morning. Banks was arrested two days after the shooting after he was spotted walking in a store parking lot along Fulkerth Road in Turlock.

Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies had taken precautions after confrontations had occurred at the courthouse between the families of the defendant and the victim. Deputies screened audience members before they entered the courtroom during the trial, taking down their names and photocopying identification cards.

The deputies sealed off the courthouse hallway after the verdict was announced to ensure the jury could leave without any problems. The families were let out of the courtroom separately to prevent any confrontations. As soon they got outside the downtown Modesto building, police were called to disperse the crowd.

One woman was taken into custody after causing a disturbance. She was later cited and released. Police patrol cars blocked 11th Street, between H and I streets, as officers made sure the families left the area.

Other officers blocked a portion of 12th Street, just east of the courthouse, as deputies ushered jurors safely to the vehicles in the nearby parking structure. There was no indication the jurors were part of any confrontation. No injuries were reported.

This story was originally published June 17, 2016 at 4:03 PM with the headline "Courthouse disturbance after guilty verdict in Modesto murder case."