Trial Begins for 6 Officers in Beating, Cash-Skimming Case : Court: Prospective jurors are asked whether their judgment will be affected by the fact that government witnesses are former drug dealers or gang members.

Federal lawyers and defense attorneys on Tuesday opened the civil rights trial of six Los Angeles County narcotics officers by questioning prospective jurors and sparring over the anticipated testimony of some key government witnesses.

The witnesses--all of whom are convicted drug dealers or linked to local street gangs--are scheduled to testify against the five sheriff’s deputies and one Los Angeles police detective accused of beating drug traffickers and skimming more than $103,000 during raids.

The officers, who worked together as members of special anti-drug teams known as the Lennox and Southwest crews, have maintained their innocence and appeared relaxed as they sat together in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

The trial, which is expected to take up to three months, began with U.S. District Judge Robert M. Takasugi and attorneys for both sides questioning the first nine prospective jurors. All but one were asked to return Friday and join a final pool of panelists from which the dozen jurors eventually will be selected.

Although Takasugi led the questioning, it was clear from questions posed by prosecutors and defense attorneys that a key part of the government’s case will rely on the credibility of government witnesses who were drug dealers.

“In this case, the government is going to call drug dealers as witnesses. What do you think about that?” Assistant U.S. Atty. Michael Emmick asked one prospective panelist, who replied that he would not be troubled by that fact.

The jurors also will be asked by defense attorneys to believe in the credibility of Deputies John L. Edner, Robert R. Garcia, Edward Jamison, J.C. Miller and Robert S. Tolmaire and Los Angeles Police Detective Stephen W. Polak.

The defendants are veteran officers who took part in a joint task force in Southwest Los Angeles aimed at disrupting mid-level and major drug traffickers, particularly those dealing with black street gangs. But according to prosecutors, between 1985 and 1987, the officers began beating drug dealers and stealing money and property during raids. They also planted cocaine on some suspects to ensure their arrests, prosecutors said.

According to court records, the alleged victims named as prospective government witnesses include nine men listed in the “Gang Index”--a computerized law enforcement database showing gang members, suspected gang members and associates of gang members.

A 10th witness--convicted drug dealer Ricky (Freeway) Ross--was not included on the list but also was linked to a local street gang, prosecutors said.

Although defense attorneys contend that the gang ties show an anti-police bias by the witnesses, prosecutors asked Judge Takasugi not to allow such arguments to be presented to jurors, calling it “wildly inflammatory.” Takasugi said he will rule on that issue later.

The judge, however, did agree to defense requests to beef up security and ordered a metal detector placed outside the courtroom during the trial.