Dollar Bill Jefferson Jury Selection Underway

Jury selection began Tuesday in the trial of former Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.). While the morning’s events didn’t produce much action in the case, those in attendance did at least get a little peek into Judge T.S. Ellis, III’s personality.

Roughly 90 potential jurors packed themselves into the benches of courtroom 900 at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, before being shuttled downstairs to fill out a sealed questionnaire. The morning was devoted mostly to sorting through potential conflicts of interest, such as whether members of the jury pool had relatives or friends at the Justice Department, or at Trout Cacheris, the firm defending Jefferson against charges he accepted bribes to arrange business deals in Africa.
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