Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 4, 1994 TAG: 9411040118
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
Lawyers settled on a panel with eight blacks, one white, one Hispanic and two people of mixed races. Their ages range from 22 to 52. Eight are women and four are men.
Both sides must agree before a jury is seated, and they did so on the first day of the crucial peremptory challenges. In this stage - the final stage of jury selection - potential jurors can be excused for any reason except gender or race. Both sides exercised 10 of their 20 challenges.
After nearly every challenge, lawyers huddled with the judge for private discussions. The exact nature of the sometimes lengthy talks was unknown, but defense attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. said at a break that the defense objected to any prosecution attempt to exclude jurors on the basis of race.
Of the 10 challenged by the prosecution, eight were black and two were white. The defense challenged five whites, one black, one Hispanic, two American Indians and one person of mixed race.
Race has emerged as an important issue in the Simpson case. Polls have shown that blacks are more likely to believe Simpson is innocent and are more open to suggestions he was framed, possibly by police.
Superior Court Judge Lance Ito said Wednesday that he wanted 15 alternates, instead of eight, and he had indicated a full panel won't be seated for another month.
The search for 15 alternates begins Tuesday, when in-depth questioning of another group of prospects begins.
Jury selection began Sept. 26 with hundreds of potential jurors filling out a long questionnaire. The next phase involved detailed questioning in person, when Ito dismissed jurors for such causes as having a bias in the case or possibly being exposed to news accounts of the case.
Opening statements aren't expected until early January.
by CNB