By Howie Fischer | Capitol Media Services via PinalCentral
The trial set to begin this week against a former state utility regulator involves charges of bribery and fraud.
But the attorneys for Gary Pierce and his co-defendants want to ask potential jurors about their views on love, marriage and affairs and the people who have them.
The Dr. Phil-style questions appear to be related to the fact that a key witness — if not the key witness — is Kelly Norton, the former wife of a lobbyist who is central to what federal prosecutors say was a scheme to funnel cash from a utility executive to Pierce in exchange for his votes on the Arizona Corporation Commission.
But any inquiry along that line is drawing objections from the Department of Justice. And that means it will be Judge John Tuchi who gets to decide how much of a potential juror’s beliefs is fodder for such inquiry.
