ATHENS, Ala. — Jury selection started Monday, July 12, in the trial of longtime Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely. By Friday afternoon, the final 15 jurors were selected.
Over 100 possible jurors showed up to Athens High school this morning so that the final 15 could be picked. 12 women and three men were selected.
The selection took longer than many were expecting, because even after sending questionnaires to 500 potential jurors, attorneys on both sides had to ask additional questions to weed out people with close ties to the sheriff or who had already made up their mind about the case.
And they were - in total 12 women were selected, along with three men.
Afterwards everyone made there way over to the courthouse for opening statements.
The state bears the burden of proof in this case and has to prove that there was criminal intent.
They say many of the crimes committed where to allegedly avoid overdrawing from a personal bank account of Blakely's.
But the defendant's attorneys says that there are simple and logical explanations for everything and that there was nothing sinister about it, that there was no criminal intent and therefore no crime committed.
Court resumes on Monday and those 12 women and 3 men selected will have to continue to weigh both sides of the argument - again both fairly and impartially.