Jury Selection to Begin Today for Hunter Trial

Jury selection is set to begin today in the trial of Nancy Hoover Hunter, who is charged with fraud, conspiracy and income tax evasion stemming from the collapse of the J. David & Co. investment firm, but much of the questioning of potential jurors will be done in private.

U. S. District Judge Earl Gilliam said Monday that reporters will be barred from sessions where potential jurors are questioned individually about their views on a number of subjects, but did not specify what those subjects are. The potential jurors also will be asked to fill out a lengthy questionnaire intended to cut down on the amount of information they are asked to provide in questioning in open court.

Lawyers involved in the case said later that the private sessions, in which potential jurors will be questioned outside the presence of other potential jurors, will deal with questions about pre-trial publicity and other matters.

Gilliam said 119 potential jurors will be on hand today and a total of 300 will be available.

Hunter was charged in November, 1986, in a 234-count indictment and faces another trial on an indictment returned in March, 1988, in which she is accused of 56 counts of conspiracy and using the mails to sell unregistered securities.