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Trial of DeKalb CEO Ellis moves ahead with jury selection

First day of jury selection in Ellis corruption trial
By Mark Niesse
Sept 9, 2014

Jury selection in the trial of suspended DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis continued Tuesday, with the second batch of 40 potential jurors being questioned by each side.

DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James asked potential jurors whether they believe it’s inappropriate for public officials to benefit personally from their government jobs.

James and Ellis’ defense team also questioned those serving jury duty about medical or other hardships that would prevent them from being named to the jury for a weekslong trial.

There are about 200 people in the jury pool, which will be whittled down to 12 jurors who will decide Ellis’ case.

Ellis has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he threatened county contractors for campaign contributions.

About the Author

Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.

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