31 potential jurors picked in Kilpatrick corruption trial

DETROIT (WXYZ) - Defense attorneys continue to challenge potential jurors, but legal experts tell 7 Action News, it appears a jury will be seated sometime next week in the Kilpatrick Corruption Case.
So far, 31 potential jurors have been qualified to hear the case; both the defense and the Assistant U. S. Attorneys can start striking jurors once the judge qualifies 66 people.
Kwame Kilpatrick, Bobby Ferguson and their lawyers looked relaxed on their way into the federal courthouse in downtown Detroit Tuesday – but inside the courtroom, the questioning of potential jurors continued to be intense.
The former mayor, his father Bernard Kilpatrick, Ferguson, and former Detroit Water Department Director Victor Mercado are charged with racketeering and conspiracy, accused of running a criminal enterprise.
Defense lawyers continue to object to certain jurors – but most of them get qualified to stay in the pool.
“I think one thing is pretty clear now, and that is, Judge Edmonds is going to get a jury in this case. And it’s not going to be a change of venue – that’s clear. They’re going to have a jury, and they’re going to have the best of what they have to work with. But they’re going go forward,” said Channel 7 Jury Selection Legal Analyst Anthony Chambers. Chambers says federal prosecutors are being very strategic – and fighting back when the defense tries to argue jurors should be let go for showing too much opinion or bias.
“They are fighting a lot of the “for causes,” or they’re trying to rehabilitate a lot of these jurors. And they’re doing it so that they can force the defense to use their [peremptory challenges] on what otherwise may be questionable jurors, now they have to use those pre-empts,” Chambers told 7 Action News Investigator Heather Catallo.


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