A jury has been selected for former Gov. Evan Mecham's trial on charges of concealing a $350,000 campaign loan.
The eight jurors and four alternates seated Thursday were to be sworn in Friday in Maricopa County Superior Court.Opening statements are set for Thursday, one day after the defense will ask the Arizona Supreme Court to send the charges back to a grand jury for reconsideration.
Mecham's lawyers contend prosecutors misused the grand jury process in seeking the indictment.
Mecham, 63, is charged with six felony counts of perjury, willful concealment and filing false documents and faces up to 22 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
His brother and 1986 campaign treasurer, Willard Mecham, faces three similar counts and up to 91/2 years in prison.
Mecham, a Republican, was removed from office April 4 when the Senate convicted him of two unrelated impeachment charges.
He also was impeached for failing to disclose the $350,000 loan from Tempe developer Barry Wolfson, but the Senate did not hear that charge for fear of prejudicing his criminal trial.
The jurors were chosen from a pool of 99 who filled out long questionnaires aimed at ferreting out bias.