In the end, 11 women and five men were selected to hear the federal corruption case against Sen. Ted Stevens.
Included in the Jury is a third grade teacher, a recent college graduate, and a hospital employee.
They are all among that group of 16 people who will decide whether the government can prove their claims that Stevens lied on Senate paperwork intentionally to conceal a corrupt relationship.
Judge Emmet Sullivan asked the jury to avoid media inquiries about the case.
Stevens brought reinforcements with him on this last day of jury selection.
Escorting him, was his daughter, Beth, who, with her father, watched as individuals with clear biases were booted.
Congress is supposed to adjourn later this week but with the financial crisis intense enough to pull even presidential candidates back to Capitol Hill Sen. Lisa Murkowski says a challenging road is ahead for her and her colleagues.
For now Stevens is doing double duty by attending court by day and giving Senate votes at night.
"He is participating in a trial. I mean this is an extraordinarily important proceeding," said Murkowski. "He knows that and he must be diligent to that task. I don't think that that suggests, however, that he is not able, also, to pay attention to his responsibilities as a U.S. senator representing Alaska."
Stevens effort to clear his name is expected to be a vigorous face off. Murkowski says it's hard for her to watch her friend and long time supporter go through it.
With jury selection over the wait begins to find out if Stevens will punctuate his lengthy career with another win or defeat.
Opening Statements will begin Thursday morning.
Allen is expected to testify in the case. But another former VECO executive, Rick Smith, who was not previously on the witness list, could also be called. Smith and Allen have already admitted their guilt in various conspiracy and bribery schemes, and both were recorded on video, audio, and in phone calls in which they can be seen and heard wheeling and dealing to influence state lawmakers.
That evidence and their testimony has successfully been used at trial against former House Speaker Pete Kott and former Rep. Vic Kohring. A case against former Rep. Bruce Weyhrauch is on appeal, while Sen. John Cowdery was indicted late this summer.
So far 11 people have been charged in the government's string of public corruption cases. All but one involve Allen and his oil-services company VECO.
Stevens is the fifth elected official from Alaska to challenge the government's accusations in court. He is the only one to be tried outside the state of Alaska. Of those five, three -- former Rep. Tom Anderson, Kott, and Kohring -- have been convicted.
Weyhrauch's case went to appeal before it started.
Cowdery was indicted this summer, but his trial has been delayed until next year.
Meanwhile, five people have entered guilty pleas in connection with government plea deals: former Anchorage lobbyist Bill Bobrick, Rick Smith, Bill Allen, Jim Clark -- chief of staff to former Gov. Frank Murkowski -- and a wealthy businessman from the prison industry, Bill Weimar.
Contact Jill Burke at jburke@ktuu.com
