Kelly trial kicks off with jury selection
More than a year after suspended Sheriff Pat Kelly’s 25-count indictment, Judge Patricia A. Cosgrove began picking jurors as the trial kicked off Monday.
Many of those potentially up for the job personally knew Kelly.
James C. Roberts and Melissa A. Schiffel are taking the state’s case as special assistant prosecuting attorneys.
About 40 Athens County residents gathered at Athens County Common Pleas Court for jury selection at 9 a.m.
Cosgrove began the jury selection process when she arrived at the courthouse at noon. By the time Cosgrove called for a final recess at 3:50 p.m., she had narrowed the selection down to about 20 potential members.
Cosgrove told jurors that phase two of questioning to determine the jury for the potentially two-and-a-half week trial would begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
She also added that the court would bring in some new potential jury members in case too many in this group were dismissed during phase two.
“I don’t want to be caught short,” Cosgrove said.
Eight jurors admitted to personally knowing Kelly before the trial; four of them were excused from the case.
Cosgrove also warned the jurors against reading or watching anything that might sway their opinion of the case.
She said if they do, it may result in a mistrial, meaning the entire case would be thrown out and the process would have to start over.
Cosgrove also said jurors would have to forgo Facebook activity if they were friends on the site; many potential jurors admitted to at least having that much interaction with Kelly.
Glouster Mayor Miles Wolf was part of the jury pool.
Kelly assisted Wolf in selecting a police chief, Wolf said, adding that the Athens County Sheriff’s office donated equipment to the Glouster police department.
Kelly’s attorney Scott Wood questioned Wolf’s involvement in the jury.
“Were you aware that someone under your administration went to Pat Kelly and recorded a conversation with him?” Wood asked.
Wolf admitted to having heard the recordings, and added that he promptly fired the police chief after hearing them.
Wolf was allowed to stay as a potential member of the jury.
Two jurors under question had direct ties to the Athens Sheriff’s Office. One had been a reserve sheriff’s deputy for 17 years and rode around with Kelly for three years. Another was in Kelly’s sheriff’s academy in 2013.
Both were excused from the jury.
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