Updated 12:35pm 5/31/17
Jury selection is underway in Elk Point, South Dakota for the $1.9 billion dollar defamation lawsuit trial filed by Beef Products Incorporated against ABC Broadcasting.
The lawsuit claims ABC News and reporter Jim Avila damaged B-P-I by referring in news reports back in 2012 to the company’s lean finely textured beef as “pink slime”.
Circuit Court Administrator Kim Allison says two panels of potential jurors came in Wednesday morning to be questioned by attorneys:
OC………a couple weeks ago. :12
Allison says a total of 409 potential jurors has been summoned for the case.
Several people were dismissed from consideration the first day for a variety of reasons:
OC………could be impartial. :21
Twelve jurors and four alternates will be chosen from that pool with selection expected to last at least through Friday in Union County District Court.
Opening statements and presentation of evidence would start at 8:30am on Monday, June 5th.
The trial is expected to last nearly two months.
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Jury selection begins Wednesday in Elk Point, South Dakota for the $1.9 billion dollar defamation lawsuit trial filed by Beef Products Incorporated against ABC Broadcasting.
A pool of 400 potential jurors has been summoned for the case and selection is predicted to last until June 2nd in Union County District Court.
Twelve jurors and four alternates will be chosen from that pool.
The lawsuit claims ABC News and reporter Jim Avila damaged B-P-I by referring in news reports back in 2012 to the company’s lean finely textured beef as “pink slime”.
Opening statements and presentation of evidence would start on June 5th.
The trial is expected to last nearly two months, until July 28th.
