Jury selection is underway for the trial of former Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer Michael Barisone, who is accused of attempted murder in the 2019 shooting of a former student and tenant at his New Jersey farm. The trial is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. Monday, March 28, in Morris County (New Jersey) Superior Court.

Barisone pleaded not guilty in January 2020 to two counts of attempted murder and two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He has been incarcerated at the Morris County (New Jersey) Correctional Facility for more than two years, awaiting a trial delayed by COVID-19 and other factors.

Because of the two-plus-year delay since the original June 2020 date set for the trial, presiding Judge Stephen Taylor noted in December that Barisone would be eligible for a pre-trial release from jail under New Jersey law. Barisone’s attorney, Edward Bilinkas said Barisone would rather waive release and wait in jail for a trial and the opportunity to mount a “vigorous” defense—arguing both self-defense and insanity, according to Bilinkas’ past statements—to the charges against him.

In February, Barisone also rejected a plea agreement in which he would have pleaded guilty to one attempted murder and one weapons charge in exchange for the state recommending a 10-year sentence.

If found guilty on all charges, Barisone faces up to 60 years in jail—20 years for each attempted-murder charge and 10 years for each weapons charge. The trial is expected to take several weeks.