Jury Selection Begins in Montoya’s Bribery Trial

Sen. Joseph B. Montoya (D-Whittier), the first legislator indicted in a federal corruption probe in the state Capitol, went on trial Monday on 12 counts of extortion, bribery, racketeering and money laundering.

U.S. District Judge Milton Schwartz, joined by prosecutors, Montoya and his attorneys, spent much of the day questioning individual jurors in private in an effort to impanel a jury that has not been influenced by media coverage of the case.

Lawyers predicted that a jury would be selected by today and that attorneys would deliver their opening statements Wednesday.

The charges against Montoya stem from a sting operation in which undercover FBI agents gave the senator $3,000 during a breakfast meeting. The exchange of money--later reported by Montoya as an honorarium--was secretly videotaped by another agent. Federal prosecutors also have alleged that Montoya solicited bribes in exchange for his vote on specific bills.

But Michael Sands, Montoya’s attorney, expressed confidence in the senator’s innocence. “We’re ready to try a very good case,” Sands told reporters.

Earlier in the day, U.S. Atty. David Levi, who is prosecuting Montoya, filed a list of 63 probable witnesses, including actor Ed Asner, Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Assn., and former sports agent Michael Trope.

Among those on the list of prosecution witnesses were six current and former members of Montoya’s staff, 14 lobbyists and various state officials, including former acting State Treasurer Elizabeth Whitney.

Also included were Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Tarzana), himself a subject of the federal probe, Sen. Rose Ann Vuich (D-Dinuba), and former Assemblyman Bruce Young, whose conviction of mail fraud in an earlier Capitol corruption case was overturned.