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Jury selection under way in Leopold trial
Listen to this articleANNAPOLIS — Jury selection will continue Thursday in the trial of Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold on misconduct-in-office charges.
The jury pool of 291 potential jurors Wednesday morning was whittled down to 58 by day’s end. From these 58 people, 12 jurors and four alternates will be selected for the trial in Anne Arundel County Circuit court, at which Visiting Judge Dennis M. Sweeney will preside.
Maryland State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt alleges that Leopold, 69, used his security detail to create dossiers on perceived political opponents. Leopold, a Republican, is also accused of having used the detail — county police officers — to distribute and check on campaign signs during the 2010 election season.
In addition, he allegedly had officers drive him to parking lots and wait while he entered another vehicle to engage in sexual activity.
Leopold, who denies the allegations, is being represented by attorneys Bruce L. Marcus and Robert C. Bonsib of MarcusBonsib LLC in Greenbelt.
Sweeney, a retired Howard County Circuit Court judge, is presiding by special assignment. He also presided over the corruption trial of former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, who was convicted of misdemeanor embezzlement in 2009, and of Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen Holton, who pleaded no contest in October 2010 to a misdemeanor campaign finance violation.
