Five potential Spector jurors are dismissed

Lawyers in the Phil Spector murder trial removed five potential jurors Wednesday, a step forward in choosing the 12 who will decide whether the music producer shot actress Lana Clarkson to death in his home in 2003.

Among those eliminated were a woman who said she believed the music producer was guilty, three people who said either they had language difficulties or were unfamiliar with American law, and a man who said he remained affected by his nephew’s suicide 15 years ago.

Judge Larry Paul Fidler ruled those jurors could be dismissed for cause, such as having a clear bias. In addition to dismissals for cause, each side can remove 20 jurors without explanation. Neither side has exercised any of those so-called peremptory challenges. Lawyers said the pace of selection so far makes it likely that jury selection will continue into next week.

Through their questioning, the lawyers hinted at some of the arguments that could emerge in the trial. When jurors mentioned relatives who had committed suicide, Deputy Dist. Atty. Alan Jackson asked whether the people had killed themselves in their own homes. To dispute defense claims that Clarkson may have committed suicide, prosecutors probably will question whether she would have killed herself in a stranger’s house.

One of the excused jurors said he could not be objective in the trial because he is haunted by the memory of his nephew’s suicide. The boy, he said, was 14 and had been caught driving his father’s car. Fearing punishment, the youth shot himself.

peter.hong@latimes.com