Davidson trial jury pool goes from 130 to 34 to 16

Because of the expected length of the Don Davidson trial — nearly three weeks — and the publicity it has attracted, U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt started Wednesday morning with an unusually large group of about 130 people to be considered for the jury.

Five hours later, the pool was whittled down to 34.

Some of the people summoned for federal jury duty were dismissed after discussing a distrust of the government or showing disdain for Clark County commissioner Erin Kenny, a key prosecution witness in the trial.

One woman, who lives in the district that Kenny had represented on the commission, expressed anger that under Kenny’s watch a high school was built across the street from the woman’s home. The potential juror said the property had been reserved for a park.

“I believe she took bribes and was bribed,” the woman said, then was promptly dismissed.

A man explained that his brother was once busted for possession of marijuana. He told Hunt he believed authorities entrapped his brother, but his brother did not have the funds to fight the charge. The potential juror said he did not believe the government always “went by the book” during investigations.

He, too, was dismissed.

Two other jurors were excused because of their connections to the political arena: John Jeffrey, a former state legislator turned lobbyist, and Jim Spinello, who was the county’s franchise director, assistant director of administrative services and lobbyist during Kenny’s tenure on the board.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors weeded out dozens more people by using their “preemptory challenges,” meaning one by one they erased jurors from the list without having to offer a reason.

In the end, seven men and five women were chosen to sit on the jury. Four additional jurors, one woman and three men, will serve as alternates.

Jurors selected include:

• A retired man who hails from Maryland and has lived in Las Vegas for four years. He completed graduate school and once worked for the federal government’s Social Security division.

• A single woman who works for the City of Henderson’s Parks and Recreation Department. She has lived in Nevada for 22 years and holds an associate’s degree in horticulture.

• A married woman who works as a controller for a development company. She lived in Los Angeles before moving to Las Vegas six years ago. She holds a bachelor’s degree.

• A married woman who is retired and works part time as a tax preparer. Originally from Arkansas, she moved to Henderson 11 years ago. She holds a masters degree in nursing.

• A single woman who works as a marketing coordinator for Cashman Equipment. She moved from California to Las Vegas 12 years ago and holds a bachelor’s degree in international business.

• A single man who has lived in Las Vegas for 39 years and works as an engineering manager for Southern Highlands Golf Club. He has a high school degree and took classes at a technical college.

• A single woman who works as an elementary school counselor. She has lived in Las Vegas for 26 years and has a bachelor’s degree in business management.

• A married man who works as a runner and has lived in Nevada for 26 years. He is a high school graduate.

• A single man who is a chemist for Chevron Oil. He holds a master’s degree and has lived in Las Vegas for 39 years.

• A single man who is studying accounting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and is working as an intern at the Riviera hotel-casino. He has lived in Las Vegas for 23 years.

• A married man who works as a golf instructor for Harrah’s Corp. He moved to Las Vegas from Texas nine years ago. He holds a bachelor’s degree.

• A married man and retired pipe-fitter who has lived in Henderson for 29 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree and took graduate school classes.

The alternate jurors are:

• A married, retired man who recently received a patent on a back cushion. The man, who is a high school graduate, moved to Las Vegas 15 years ago from Illinois.

• A married man who works as a software architect. He was born in Las Vegas and is studying computer science at UNLV.

• A married woman who moved to North Las Vegas from California eight years ago. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.

• A married man and retired engineer who moved to Henderson from California 15 years ago. He has a high school diploma and has attended some college courses.