Jury Seated in Rep. Lukens’ Trial on Sex Charges

A jury was seated Monday for the trial of U.S. Rep. Donald E. (Buz) Lukens, who is accused of having sex with an underage girl.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys spent seven hours selecting the jurors, who will hear evidence on a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency and unruliness of a minor.

Assistant prosecutor Rita Mangini challenged defense attorney Thomas Tyack in court to explain his decision to excuse the only black potential juror. The girl who made the allegations against Lukens is black.

Tyack said he excused the woman because her husband works for the state; there were other jurors who he believed would be more appropriate from the defense’s point of view, and because the potential juror appeared to be “living in a vacuum.”

Tyack was referring to her statement that she had absolutely no knowledge of the case despite widespread media coverage.

Lukens, a 58-year-old conservative Republican, was elected to Congress in 1986 and previously served from 1967-71. In between, he ran unsuccessfully for governor and served in the state Legislature.