Libby judge puts more jurors on standby, postpones opening arguments News
Libby judge puts more jurors on standby, postpones opening arguments

[JURIST] US District Judge Reggie B. Walton [official profile] has placed 10 more potential jurors on standby in the CIA leak trial [JURIST news archive] of former vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby [defense website; JURIST news archive]. On Thursday the court still did not have a full jury pool and lacked six of the required 36 impartial jurors for final jury selection. Jury selection [JURIST report] began Tuesday and Walton had previously hoped to have a final 12-person jury selected by Thursday and commence opening statements on Monday, but too many of the original 60 jurors have been dismissed on the grounds that they could not set aside their views on the Bush administration and the war in Iraq. Opening statements have been postponed until Tuesday.

Libby is charged with perjury and obstruction of justice [indictment, PDF; JURIST report] in connection with the investigation into the leak of former CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. Libby's defense team has indicated that they plan to call [JURIST report] Libby's former boss, Vice President Dick Cheney [official website], to testify and that Libby also plans to take the witness stand himself. Walton has denied a request [JURIST report] from several news organizations seeking the daily release of audio recordings of arguments and testimony. AP has more.

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