The question of how much influence the last Blagojevich trial will have on the current trial became a part of jury selection today. A potential juror told Judge Zagel he wasn’t sure he could separate what he had heard and read about the last trial from new evidence he would hear in court.

Judge Zagel will decide later today whether that juror will remain in the potential juror pool.

Forty jurors will be needed in the pool. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will then get a last chance to exclude jurors before the final jury of 12 jurors and 6 alternates is selected.