Jury selection is expected to continue this morning in the criminal case of Pierce County Superior Court Judge Michael Hecht.

Assistant attorney general John Hillman and defense attorney Wayne Fricke began the task of selecting 14 people – 12 jurors and two alternates – on Monday.

They were able to dismiss people who claimed a hardship of some kind from the panel of 75 prospective jurors and started questioning individuals about the answers they provided on jury questionnaires.

Individual questioning will continue today.

Among other things, the questionnaires asked prospective jurors about whether they know anyone involved in the case – including Hecht and the witnesses – and for whom they voted for judge in the August 2008 election. That’s when Hecht beat incumbent Sergio Armijo for a seat on the bench.

Three months later, Armijo’s son – private investigator Morgan Armijo – and other supporters of the incumbent went public with allegations that Hecht patronized prostitutes and threatened to kill one of them.

Those allegations prompted investigations by Tacoma police and the state Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Hillman ultimately charged Hecht with one count of felony harassment stemming from the alleged threat and one misdemeanor count of patronizing a prostitute. The judicial conduct commission also charged Hecht with violating judicial canons.

Hecht has pleaded not guilty to both criminal counts and is fighting the charges made by the commission. The judge, who’s been on paid leave from his job for months, contends he’s the victim of a political vendetta.

His trial is expected to last at least two weeks.

Hecht’s trial had been scheduled to begin last month but was delayed after one of the prosecution’s chief witnesses – an often homeless man who Hillman contends sold sex to Hecht – could not be found.

Authorities eventually tracked Joseph Pfeiffer down, and his testimony was preserved via a video recording that might be shown to the jury if he fails to show up to testify in person.

Hillman also received court orders to video-record the testimony of at least three other witnesses in the case, all of whom are homeless, including Joseph Hesketh IV. Hesketh, who claims he sold sex to Hecht, contends Hecht threatened to kill him on the streets of Tacoma last summer.

Hecht has denied having sex with Hesketh or threatening to kill him.

Adam Lynn: 253-597-8644

adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com

blog.thenewstribune.com/crime