13 women, 1 man to hear Steele case
BOISE - Thirteen women and one man will hear the case of a North Idaho attorney accused of hiring a man to kill his wife and mother-in-law.
Two of the 14 jurors selected Tuesday for the trial of Edgar Steele will be alternates. All will hear opening statements today beginning at 8:30 a.m. in U.S. District Court in Boise.
The jurors were selected from a pool of 65. At least 20 said they'd heard of the case through the media, but all said they still felt they could be impartial.
All jurors were asked if they were affiliated with groups that advocated "racial or ethnic superiority" or opposed it.
Only one said yes - a woman who said her daughter served as the youth representative for the Ada County Human Rights Commission. She was not stricken because of that.
Steele faces at least 30 years in prison if convicted of possessing a destructive device in relation to a crime of violence. He's also charged with use of interstate commerce to commission murder for hire, use of explosive material to commit a federal felony and tampering with a victim.
Steele's supporters, including his wife, say he has been framed by the government to silence him for his views and legal work. Steele calls himself “attorney for the damned” and is known for defending the Aryan Nations against the lawsuit that bankrupted the racist group.
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