[JURIST] Trials involving former corporate leaders of Tyco International [corporate site] and WorldCom, now MCI, [corporate site] are both set to begin this week, with both expected to last weeks to months, as the executives are tried on a variety of fraud charges. Former Tyco execs Dennis Kozlowski and Mark Swartz are being retried on charges of stealing $600 million from the company coffers to pay for extravagant lifestyles after a first trial was ended last spring when a juror was threatened. Juror selection for the retrial was set to begin Tuesday. JURIST has background on the previous trial [JURIST archive]. AP has more on the Tyco trial. The trial of former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers is also scheduled to begin this week, with juror selection on Wednesday. Ebbers is accused of misleading investors and covering up financial troubles during his tenure at the helm of the telecommunications company, charges Ebbers denies. AP has more on the trial.

2:15 PM ET - The judge in the Ebbers trial made several evidentiary rulings today, including one to allow defense attorneys to question a prosecution witness about alleged marital infidelity and another barring evidence that Ebbers knew of congressional hearings on the Enron collapse. AP has more.