This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The federal discrimination trial pitting the U.S. Department of Justice against the towns Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., began this morning with jury selection.
The morning's proceedings could best be described as ...
... Well, I have no idea. I don't fly to Phoenix until tonight. Opening statements are expected Wednesday.
If you missed The Salt Lake Tribune's trial preview on Sunday, click here to catch up.
Here, at least, is how jury selection is supposed to have gone.
First, the lawyers aren't starting from scratch. Questionnaires were sent weeks ago to 300 potential jurors from counties in northern Arizona.
Hildale attorney Blake Hamilton last week said all sides or the judge had already struck most of those people off the list because the candidates responded that it would be difficult for them to sit in a courtroom for one month, or because the attorneys had some concern with the candidates' responses. The questionnaire asked what the potential jurors knew of the towns, collectively known as Short Creek, or about the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
So the lawyers, Judge H. Russel Holland and 52 potential jurors were to have arrived for court this morning.
Twelve jurors are to be seated.
Jury selection probably isn't the only business for the parties and judge today.
The lawyers for the federal government and the municipal governments are still haggling over some of the exhibits that will be admitted into evidence. Holland has already decided the jury can hear about polygamy and imprisoned FLDS President Warren Jeffs so long as the discussion relates to the discrimination allegations, but Holland still has to settle disputes between the lawyers about which exhibits are relevant.
We'll see if the trial is running on time when I get to court Wednesday morning.
Twitter: @natecarlisle