Jury for Jackson trial selected

A jury was selected ahead of schedule today for the child molestation trial of pop star Michael Jackson.

“We have a jury,” Superior Court Judge Rodney S Melville announced. The panel consists of four men and eight women, ranging in age from 20 to 79.

The racial and ethnic breakdown appeared to be: seven whites, four Hispanics and one Asian.

After the jury was sworn in at the court in Santa Maria, California, lawyers moved on to selection of eight alternate jurors.