Big Picture

Kim & Kourt Take Bev Hills Plus, Daniel Radcliffe works his magic and Bruce Jenner blasts to the past. Get the latest pics!

MORE PHOTOS +

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.

Fashion Police

Leighton's Valentine's Look Plus, Ashlee Simpson and Cate Blanchett. Rate the highs and lows!

MORE PHOTOS +

Top Galleries

MORE PHOTOS +

Our Partners

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.

Spector Jury Sworn In

Thu., Apr. 19, 2007 7:25 PM PDT by Natalie Finn

Apparently there are 12 people left who aren't overly familiar with the Phil Spector case or who at least haven't formed an unshakeable opinion about the famed music producer's guilt or innocence.

A jury of nine men and three women was sworn in Thursday after four days of questioning, in which the 100 or so remaining prospective jurors were quizzed down by both the prosecution and the defense in order to root out bias, personal feelings and other preconceived notions in order to ensure that Spector receives a fair trial. (As much as is possible when you're dealing with human beings, of course.)

For instance, one of the selected jurors has been identified as an NBC producer who admitted to being knowledgeable about the case but said that he feels he can still be fair in determining whether Spector murdered Lana Clarkson on Feb. 3, 2003, in his Alhambra home.

The Wall of Sound creator pleaded not guilty and has been free on $1 million bail since being arraigned in November 2003.

Using questionnaires and in-court interviews, the attorneys interrogated those lucky enough to pull jury duty back in March, when selection began, about their feelings regarding Spector, celebrities, suicide and other issues that are likely to come up during the course of what will likely be a months-long trial.

The defense dismissed five potential jurors with cause Wednesday, including a woman who said she believed that Spector is guilty, three people whose English wasn't too hot who said that they were unfamiliar with American law, and a man who said he was still troubled by his nephew's suicide by gunshot 15 years ago.

In addition to the dismissals for causes such as bias, each side had 20 opportunities to strike prospective jurors sans explanation. Eleven potential jurors were stricken without cause Thursday, including an Alhambra resident who works for the L.A. Unified School District who wrote in her questionnaire last month that she believes people who own guns are more likely to commit violent crimes.

Then there was the financial analyst who wrote, "In my opinion, Phillip is at fault for her death."

So long.

Another woman said she used to work at the West Hollywood hot spot Skybar, which is next to the House of Blues—where Clarkson worked as a hostess and where Spector met her the night she died. Because she was so geographically close to the case, the prospective juror said, she had read a lot about it and felt that Spector was guilty. Then, there was that whole O.J. Simpson thing, which made her feel that celebrities have an easier time of it when it comes to legal justice.

Next.

Other people removed by the defense Thursday included an L.A. city prosecutor and a man who said he had considered a career in law enforcement when he was younger.

The 12 people eventually chosen to sit on the jury include the network producer and several county employees.

Jury selection will continue Monday so that six alternates can be chosen, but aside from that, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler estimates that opening statements will begin as early as next Wednesday.

And to think it only took four years.