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First two jurors selected to hear murder trial of Luka Rocco Magnotta

Darpan News Desk Canadian Press, 16 Sep, 2014 10:31 AM

MONTREAL - The first two jurors have been selected to hear the first-degree murder trial of Luka Rocco Magnotta.

Magnotta has pleaded not guilty to five charges, including first-degree murder, in connection with the May 2012 slaying and dismemberment of Jun Lin, 33, a Chinese engineering student.

Two women were chosen today to be on the jury as the first crop of potential jurors were vetted.

The process will continue until they have found 14 bilingual candidates and two alternates.

Roughly 300 candidates remain from the initial 1,600 summoned last week.

Today's proceedings mark the first time the 32-year-old Magnotta hasn't appeared in a high-security courtroom.

Instead, the selection is being done in a regular courtroom to make it easier for Magnotta to talk to his lawyer.

While the trial will take place mostly in English, many witnesses will testify in French.

Hundreds of potential jurors received exemptions last week, primarily because they said they were not proficient enough in both languages.

On Tuesday, others were also dismissed because their level of French or English comprehension was deemed inadequate.

Besides the murder charge, Magnotta has pleaded not guilty to committing an indignity to a body; publishing obscene material; criminally harassing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other members of Parliament; and mailing obscene and indecent material.

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