By Delayna Earley
The Island News
The trial for Staff Sgt. Steven Smiley began on Monday, July 17, 2023, on the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.
Smiley is charged with negligent homicide in the death of Marine Pfc. Dalton Beals in 2021 in addition to dereliction of duty resulting in death, violation of the recruit training order, maltreatment of recruits and obstruction of justice.
Beals died while trying to complete the Crucible, which is the final trial that a Marine recruit must complete during their training at Parris Island.
When the trial began on Monday, Smiley requested to receive a trial by jury of his peers.
The jury is made up of eight people, both officers and enlisted Marines.
There are six men and three women who were seated on the jury during voir dire on Monday and Tuesday morning.
Staff Sgt. Smiley’s trial is scheduled to last three weeks and there are roughly 50 witnesses listed, but it is not likely that they will all be called.
The trial is presided over by Judge Col. Adam Workman, and Staff Sgt. Smiley has a legal team that is comprised of both military lawyers and civilian lawyers.
As of Tuesday evening, both the prosecution and the defense have presented their opening arguments and the first two witnesses have been called to take the stand.
Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She spent six years as a videographer and photographer for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette before leaving the Lowcountry in 2018. After freelancing in Myrtle Beach and Virginia, she joined The Island News when she moved back to Beaufort in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
