Jurors well versed in the politics surrounding the charges against former presidential candidate John Edwards are growing in Greensboro, N.C., as a federal judge has recently had to dismiss 47 out of the 185 summoned so far, as reported by Yahoo News, ABC News and others.
The 47 admitted that they could not be fair about weighing the evidence – six criminal counts for allegedly accepting $1 million in secret payments to his campaign – charged against Edwards.
Potential jurors were asked via written questionnaire if the media had influenced them already as to the guilt or innocence of Edwards. U.S. district Court Judge Catherine C. Eagles dismissed jurors that had already-formed opinions, and other jurors for more typical responses such as medical conditions or personal hardships.
The commitment for jurors in the trial is estimated at six weeks.
Edwards has entered a plea of not guilty on every count. The charges allege that he used $1 million given to him for his 2008 presidential campaign from two wealthy sources to hide his pregnant mistress from the public eye.
While the potential jurors continue to be interviewed, opening arguments have been scheduled and exhibits to be used for the trial have been listed by Edwards' defense.
The prosecution has its own list of over 700 exhibits that include campaign videos, receipts, voicemails, emails and notes. The sources allegedly are his former aide, his mistress and a centenarian socialite that provided the majority of the cash.
Most of the money allegedly was managed by Edwards' aide, Andrew Young, to use to hide the whereabouts of his mistress Rielle Hunter. Cash was used for private jets and extravagant hotels, allegedly in an attempt to keep Hunter away from reporters and the paparazzi by frequently changing her location.
In 2010 Edwards gave up the ruse, stopped making denials to the public and his wife, and admitted he was the father of Rielle Hunter's little girl, now 4 years old.
Edwards' lawyers plan on exhibiting a book written by Andrew Young – a "tell all" – that is fraught with inaccuracies. Young's financial records, including his tax returns, income and assets, are also under subpoena.
Melanie Sloan, the executive director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said, "Everybody in America hates John Edwards. He was cheating on his cancer stricken wife. You really can't get lower than that. But by the same token, I think Americans can judge facts impartially and they can look at the situation and say, 'yes, having an affair and doing what he did is terrible' but that doesn't make it a crime."
Edwards' defense team has claimed that the money he spent was given as a gift from donors, and not subject to election finance laws.
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