Jury selection slows in Fumo trial

After choosing 16 potential jurors in the federal corruption case against state Sen. Vince Fumo on Tuesday, the jury-selection process bogged down yesterday with the selection of just 12 more.

More than 70 potential jurors have now been questioned by U.S. District Judge William H. Yohn Jr., prosecutors and defense attorneys.

The prosecution and the defense are winnowing down the jury pool to roughly 40 to 45. Once this smaller pool is chosen, attorneys will get an opportunity to exercise a number of peremptory challenges - in which jurors can be eliminated without a reason - before a jury is seated.

A jury of 12 people and four alternates is expected to be seated Monday with opening arguments to begin later that day.

Fumo, 65, and co-defendant Ruth Arnao, a former top aide to Fumo, were charged in February 2007 with conspiracy, fraud, obstruction of justice and related tax offenses. They have pleaded not guilty.

Two other defendants in the case - both former computer technicians for Fumo - pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy and obstruction charges and have agreed to testify against Fumo.

The feds say Fumo directed the ex-computer aides to delete e-mails and other electronic evidence from Fumo's computers to thwart the federal investigation.

The trial could last three months, which is making the jury-selection process more cumbersome.

Many potential jurors were excused yesterday for financial hardship because their employers would not agree to pay them for three months of jury duty. (The government pays jurors $40 a day plus expenses.)

But several other potential jurors were dismissed for bias because they had negative opinions of state government or the credibility of prospective witnesses.

"I keep up with Pennsylvania politics, and I don't have a lot of respect for [elected officials] . . . with the pay grab, their power plays here and there," said one potential male juror, adding, "Nothing personal against Senator Fumo. I'm sure he's a fine guy."

Another potential male juror was dismissed after he told the judge, "Yes, I have prejudices against certain individuals." *