US:The jury selected to hear the Phil Spector murder trial in Los Angeles includes an NBC producer who has covered the OJ Simpson and Michael Jackson trials and who has already reported on this case.
Lawyers for the prosecution and the defence have spent the past two weeks interviewing potential jurors. It is almost unprecedented that lawyers would choose a juror intimately familiar with the case and the legal system. It is commonly believed that US lawyers prefer less-educated jurors who can more easily be manipulated.
Mr Spector's trial for the alleged murder of actress Lana Clarkson at his Hollywood mansion four years ago is due to get under way on Wednesday when opening statements are expected to begin. The selection of the current affairs producer is a risky move by the defence, but one that could pay off, according to Robert Hirschhorn, a jury consultant who has worked on several high-profile cases.
"If he's not doing it to advance his career, he could be the best juror. With so much knowledge and experience, he will be persuasive and will bend over backwards to be fair to Spector," he said.
"Prosecutors have less to fear because the media typically reports on people as if they were guilty. They're taking a chance he'll be consistent with journalists."
Nine men and three women were selected, with one juror working as an administrator in a law firm, and another as a clerk with the Los Angeles superior court. The 41-year-old NBC producer, when questioned by lawyers said he had met the forensic expert working for the defence, Michael Baden, in his capacity as a journalist and he also supervised the coverage of a number of other expert witnesses for the defence.
During questioning, he said he thought he could be fair and his only difficulty might be in separating what he knows from what the judge will permit as evidence. Like all of the jurors in the case, the producer said he is not a fan of Spector's famed "Wall of Sound" music.
Of the 300 prospective jurors called, all had to complete an 18- page questionnaire that included questions about their knowledge of the trial. One such question was did they believe celebrities were treated differently by LA police. Those not eliminated on grounds of hardship or prejudice were then questioned by jury consultants. Six alternate jurors will be chosen later today.
Mr Spector (67) has been in court every day during the selection process. He has been accompanied by his 26-year-old wife Rachelle Short and three security guards. He is represented by a team of six lawyers, headed by Bruce Cutler, who has represented New York Mafia boss John Gotti for some time.
Mr Spector has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Clarkson, whom he had met just five hours earlier on the night she died in his home. He claims she committed suicide and that he was too far from her at the time of her death to have shot her.