Email this postFumo Trial: Day One - jury selection
The huge undertaking that is the U.S v. Vincent J. Fumo has begun today with a massive jury selection effort involving a pool of 220 candidates at the federal courthouse in Center City. Eventually, the pool will be whittled down to 12 jurors and four alternates.
The potential jurors will be faced with a monster 11-page juror questionnaire and 13 pages listing more than 300 people that candidates must review to see if they know, say, Jerry Blavat or Gov. Rendell.
Question #43 should give some of the potential jurors pause:
"...it is anticipated that the trial will be a lengthy one, and last for approximately 3 months..."
Jury selection is expected to take most of the week.
Fumo, appearing in good spirits, arrived at 9:14 a.m. to Courtroom 17A accompanied by a small entourage that included Dennis Cogan, his lawyer, Carolyn Zinni, his girlfriend, and his son, Vincent E. Fumo.
After some minor legal wrangling, U.S. District Judge William H. Yohn Jr. moved the proceeding down to the first-floor ceremonial courtroom to handle the massive selection process.
-Inquirer Staff
The potential jurors will be faced with a monster 11-page juror questionnaire and 13 pages listing more than 300 people that candidates must review to see if they know, say, Jerry Blavat or Gov. Rendell.
Question #43 should give some of the potential jurors pause:
"...it is anticipated that the trial will be a lengthy one, and last for approximately 3 months..."
Jury selection is expected to take most of the week.
Fumo, appearing in good spirits, arrived at 9:14 a.m. to Courtroom 17A accompanied by a small entourage that included Dennis Cogan, his lawyer, Carolyn Zinni, his girlfriend, and his son, Vincent E. Fumo.
After some minor legal wrangling, U.S. District Judge William H. Yohn Jr. moved the proceeding down to the first-floor ceremonial courtroom to handle the massive selection process.
-Inquirer Staff
About Inquirer Breaking News
Live from the courtroom, the Inquirer is blogging the federal corruption trial of State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo and his longtime friend and associate Ruth Arnao.
Highlights of testimony, rulings and the courtroom scene will be posted here regularly. Fumo, a Democratic state senator since 1978, is accused in a 139-count indictment of conspiring to defraud the Senate, a South Philadelphia nonprofit, and the Independence Seaport Museum; obstruction of justice; and tax violations. The fraudulent activity totaled $3.5 million, prosecutors allege.
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