.....is off to a good start.

Jury pool in Hutaree terrorism trial a varied group

February 8, 2012

Talk about a cast of characters.

A varied group showed up for jury selection Tuesday in the Hutaree militia trial in federal court in Detroit -- including a former bedbug exterminator who uses medical marijuana, a woman who burned down her ex-husband's house after he allegedly tried to sell their daughter for $60,000, a Russian immigrant who has issues with spying and a minister who believes gun rights should be limited.

"We don't want crazy people walking around with guns," the minister said in court while the accused militia members looked on. She didn't get excused.

Seven defendants said to be part of the Hutaree militia are charged with plotting a violent revolt against the government that included killing a police officer and bombing a funeral. Jury selection continues today in the terror trial, which is expected to last six to eight weeks.

The Russian immigrant and the self-professed arsonist didn't get dismissed from the case. But the medical marijuana user was sent home, as was a woman who said she thought the defendants were guilty.

Of the 21 prospective jurors who showed up for questioning Tuesday, 11 women and three men were picked to go into the jury pool. The goal is to select 50 potential jurors by Friday, and then whittle it down to a final panel of 16 -- 12 jurors and four alternates.

The jury will remain anonymous, per a judge's order.

Defense lawyers and prosecutors are questioning prospective jurors about a number of issues, including their feelings about law enforcement, guns, confidential informants and conspiracy theories -- all of which play a role in the case.

At the trial, prosecutors will try to convince jurors the defendants are homegrown terrorists who held shooting exercises in the backwoods of Lenawee County and planned violent attacks on law enforcement.

Defense lawyers have long argued the defendants were simply engaged in tough talk, which is protected by free-speech rights, and they never had any real plans to harm anyone.