Jackson Trial to Begin on Monday

SANTA MARIA, Calif. —  The eight alternate jurors for Michael Jackson’s child-molestation trial were selected Thursday, and opening statements were scheduled for next week.

Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville set the opening arguments -- in a trial expected to last as long as five months -- for Monday at 8:30 a.m.

Melville told the alternate jurors that they had an elevated importance compared with other trials because high-profile cases offer greater temptations for jury misconduct.

“If someone doesn’t heed my admonitions, I’ve got eight jurors willing to help,” he said.

The 12-member panel, selected Wednesday after just three days of questioning, consists of three or four Latinos and a woman of Asian background, with the remainder being white. Attorneys for Jackson, who is African American, objected when two black women were rejected as prospective jurors.

The alternates are four men and four women ranging in age from 19 to 81. Six are white. The others are an African American man and a Latina.

Some of the jurors and two alternates said they had visited Jackson’s Neverland ranch.

One of the alternates told attorneys that his mother-in-law, who was fired several years ago from a housekeeping position at the ranch, is on the defense witness list.

A United Parcel Service driver, the man said he had made at least five deliveries to Neverland.

Like other ranch visitors, he had to sign a form promising he would not disclose anything he witnessed in the course of his visit. He and his children attended a “family day” on the ranch for relatives of employees, but he said his judgment wouldn’t be clouded by that experience or by his mother-in-law’s former employment.

The other alternates are:

* An 81-year-old woman who said she had never been ticketed for speeding and had been honored with a good-driving plaque from her insurance company.

* A 19-year-old man who delivers flowers and hopes to become a dentist.

* A 26-year-old bank teller whose first language was Spanish and who gets some of her news from Spanish-language networks such as Telemundo, which she said carried very little about the Jackson case.

* A 44-year-old interior designer who said she had worked for a number of celebrities and would not be overly influenced by the parade of stars who might testify on Jackson’s behalf.

* A 64-year-old Army retiree who expressed admiration for Jackson’s dancing: “I’m not so much into his music, but I sure like his moves,” he said.

* A 52-year-old woman who is a secretary for her husband’s business.

* A 73-year-old retired man with seven grown children.