 Nine members who interviewed with Judge James Zagel on Thursday have
been dismissed from consideration. Jury selection started Thursday,
when Zagel began questioning the 90 candidates remaining from an
initial pool of 300.
The judge has yet to rule on one of the potential jurors, a retired
accountant in his 60s who follows television news.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys issued 17 challenges. They managed
to agree on five of the candidates for dismissal, including a
22-year-old investment banker Zagel had called "disgraceful" because
of a foul-mouthed questionnaire on Thursday.
Zagel dismissed two jurors for hardship, one economic and one
personal, which precluded them from serving. The defense, however,
wanted to keep juror No. 122, the performer who was dismissed for
personal reasons.
The prosecution focused many of its challenges on individuals who
had expressed opposition to wiretaps. Zagel denied two of these
cuts.
The defense, meanwhile, targeted would-be jurors who harbored
negative feelings about politicians, including juror No. 125, who
said Blagojevich seemed guilty.
The judge denied four such challenges on the grounds that the jurors
had affirmed their ability to set aside existing notions of
Blagojevich's innocence or guilt.
Each side was able to secure one disputed dismissal. The prosecution
objected to a former precinct captain for a Democratic political
candidate, while the defense objected to a former certified public
accountant whose cousin is a judge.
When court resumes, the judge is expected to swear in the next 30-odd perspective jurors. The process is expected to continue through
early next week. [Illinois
Statehouse News; By BILL McMORRIS] |
