Politics poses hurdle to Libby jury selection
Source: Reuters
By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Lawyers in the perjury trial of former White House official Lewis "Scooter" Libby struggled to select a jury on Thursday as many potential jurors said their disapproval of the Bush administration would prevent them from judging the case objectively. Many of the residents of the largely Democratic city said they would have a hard time finding Libby's former boss, Vice President Dick Cheney, a credible witness if he were called to testify, as expected. "I think he's been instrumental in enacting some policies that have really damaged our country," said one woman, a business consultant who helps the government manage its properties. Libby resigned as Cheney's former chief of staff after he was charged with lying to investigators as they sought to determine who leaked the name of a CIA operative whose husband criticized the Bush administration's use of intelligence before the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Lawyers must assemble a pool of 36 jurors to be narrowed down to a jury of 12 and 4 alternates, and Judge Reggie Walton hopes to start the trial on Monday. By midday Thursday, Walton had selected 25 jurors and removed 10 for their strong opposition to the Bush administration, the Iraq war, or journalists involved in the case, after 2 1/2 days of jury selection. Four others were excused due to health problems or other personal factors. "I certainly have an opinion that you can't believe any statement by the Bush administration," said one woman, who was promptly excused. Only one potential juror, a saleswoman for a defense contractor, said she supported the decision to invade Iraq. Several other potential jurors said they personally knew some of the high-profile reporters who are expected to testify as witnesses. High-profile cases, especially those involving politics, often require a large jury pool, a consultant said. "Almost every citizen will have an opinion on the administration and the war," said Art Patterson, senior vice president at the consulting firm DecisionQuest.
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