Jury selected for Jacko trial
A jury was selected yesterday for pop star Michael Jackson's child abuse trial. The panel of 12 consists of four men and eight women, ranging in age from 20 to 79.
The ethnic breakdown is seven whites, four Hispanics and one Asian.
Judge Rodney S Melville announced at the court in Santa Maria, California: 'We have a jury.'
The selection was expected to last several weeks, but took only five court days.
The process was postponed for a week because of the death of a lawyer's sister and for a further week after Jackson was taken to hospital with flu-like symptoms.
Among the jurors is a woman who said her grandson was required to register as a sex offender; a woman who said she was related to the pilot of one of the planes that went down in the September 11 terror attacks; a 20-year-old man who likes The Simpsons and a man who is interested in Western art and country music.
One of the jurors was asked if he recognised celebrity witnesses in the case including self-help guru Deepak Chopra.
He replied, 'I think he's a rapper.'
Lawyers must now choose eight alternate jurors. Jackson, 46, denies plying a boy with alcohol and molesting him.
