A jury of 12 plus four alternates was selected Wednesday for the upcoming trial of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s former aide Bridget Anne Kelly and ex-Port Authority executive Bill Baroni over politically motivated lane closures on the George Washington Bridge.
Opening arguments begin Monday in what is expected to be a six week trial. Witnesses are expected to include Baroni’s former boss, former Port Authority deputy executive director David Weinstein — who has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with the government — as well as Baroni and Kelly, who have said they will testify in their own defense.
Kelly’s lawyer Wednesday said his client plans to reveal new information when she takes the stand.
“She will testify and its unusual,” said Michael Critchley Sr. said outside the courthouse. “But I think people who know her have to understand that she is not afraid of the truth and she will have an opportunity for the first time publicly and in a federal courtroom to say the truth as it relates to what is described as ‘Bridgegate.”
The jury is comprised of six women and six men, including a supervisor for UPS, a retired special education teacher and a food blogger who said she does not like Christie, despite the fact that they go to the same church.
The juror, who is employed by a hotel chain, was selected anyway after she told the judge she could put her opinions aside for the trial.
Lawyers and prosecutors solicited the jurors’ opinions of Christie and other names that might come up at trial in a questionnaire that they filled out last week.
On Tuesday, three Christie supporters were tossed for saying they believed the case was politically motivated and that they could not look past those feeling if selected.
Kelly and Baroni stand accused of misusing Port Authority resources by ordering GWB lane closures in 2013 in order to punish the mayor of Fort Lee for withholding his support to Christie in his bid for re-election.