THE JUDGE:
Judge Thokozile Masipa will preside over the biggest and most closely-watched case in her career when Pistorius goes on trial for murder in Reeva Steenkamp's shooting death. Masipa has 15 years' experience as a judge, but was once a reporter with a South African newspaper before turning to law. Her appointment to oversee and ultimately judge Pistorius' case will satisfy both prosecution and defense, legal experts say, because of her reputation for being unwaveringly fair. She was the second black woman to be appointed a judge in South Africa, according to the South African Press Association.
While she has become a figure of intense interest, South Africa's department of justice has warned reporters not to attempt to contact her during Pistorius' trial. Masipa will be aided by two assessors whom she has appointed but who have not yet been named. In South Africa, judges are sometimes helped by assessors, often experts in criminal law who can help the judge reach a verdict but have limited roles in the trial. South Africa abolished juries in criminal trials in 1969.
