Gail Gerlach

The list of possible jurors in Gail Gerlach’s manslaughter trial shrank Monday as attorneys weeded out people with strong opinions in a widely publicized case that touches on self-defense and the appropriate use of force to stop property theft. Jury selection continues today along with a series of legal arguments, including one centering on whether the jury can be told of the criminal history of Brendon Kaluza-Graham, the 25-year-old who stole Gerlach’s idling SUV from his driveway.

The list of people who will hear testimony in the manslaughter trial of Gail Gerlach shrunk Monday as attorneys challenged potential jurors and Gerlach's wife was excluded from the courtroom for trial.

Gail Gerlach will go before a jury this week, facing up to a decade in prison on a manslaughter charge accusing him of shooting dead a man who had stolen his car out of his driveway. Gerlach, 57, fired a single round from his handgun through the back window of his 1997 Chevrolet Suburban on the morning of March 25, 2013. The bullet struck the driver, 25-year-old Brendon Kaluza-Graham, in the back of his head just above the hairline, severing his spine and killing him “almost instantly,” according to a medical examiner’s report.

Much of what Gail Gerlach told police after he shot and killed a fleeing car thief can’t be used against him at trial, a judge ruled Friday.

The father of a Spokane man shot to death in March while trying to steal a car appeared in Superior Court on Thursday – accused of trying to steal a car. Brian J. Kaluza was arrested in April after he tried to steal a marked Spokane Police Department patrol car, according to police reports. He was released on his own recognizance at that time, but violated his release conditions Tuesday when authorities say he committed a fourth-degree assault.

The father of a Spokane man shot to death in March while trying to steal a car will appear in Superior Court today — for trying to steal a car.

The Spokane man who shot a car thief outside his home in March will take the witness stand next week to argue statements he made to police directly following the incident should be suppressed from his upcoming manslaughter trial. Through his defense attorneys, Gail Gerlach, 57, has requested a hearing in Spokane County Superior Court to argue that words and statements attributed to him in court records were incorrectly paraphrased by officers. Gerlach, who claims he fired in self-defense because he thought the thief was armed, also contends he was inadequately informed of his Miranda rights before speaking with investigators.

The Spokane plumber facing manslaughter charges for shooting a car thief wants the court to help pay for the forensics experts needed to help prepare his self-defense case. Gail Gerlach, 57, made the request to Spokane Superior Court Judge Annette Plese this week, saying in court documents that he can’t afford the expenses himself. Documents indicate the judge has appointed experts to assist in Gerlach’s defense, but details of the appointments have been sealed.

Gail Gerlach stood before a judge today and pleaded not guilty to first-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting a man who was stealing his SUV.

Even Gail Gerlach wasn’t sure if he had made the right decision. Minutes after shooting fleeing car thief Brendon Kaluza-Graham, Gerlach told police officers he “was scared and that he did not know if he did the right thing,” according to court documents released Wednesday.