Newly seated jurors get days off before opening statements

Kim Smith

Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2001 | 11:59 a.m.

Opening statements in the Margaret Rudin murder trial will begin Friday morning.

After two full days of sometimes painstaking questioning, attorneys Tuesday finished selecting the jury that will determine Rudin's fate.

However, District Judge Joseph Bonaventure gave the jurors today and Thursday off to get their affairs in order for what he said would be a "long and arduous" trial.

Although the jury will not be sequestered, the trial is expected to last four to six weeks.

The predominately middle-aged jury contains eight women and four men. Another four women and two men were selected as alternates.

Prosecutors believe Rudin, 56, and an unknown accomplice shot her husband, Ronald Rudin, to death in December 1994. His decapitated and burned remains were found a month later at Nelson's Landing at Lake Mohave.

Rudin was indicted in connection with the slaying in April 1997 and arrested in November 1999 while living under a different name in Massachusetts.

Chief Deputy District Attorneys Gary Guymon and Chris Owens allege Rudin killed her multimillionaire husband to get her hands on his estate and because she was enraged over his infidelities.

Rudin's attorney, Michael Amador, said he intends to prove Ronald Rudin's other beneficiaries killed him.

Among those on the jury panel are two people who have lost relatives through murder. One, a retired motion picture film technician, said his sister-in-law was killed 38 years ago. A suspect is in prison on unrelated murder charges.

The other juror, a housewife, said her brother was killed 15 years ago.

Also on the jury panel are two registered nurses, a hotel human resources director, a special education teacher, a retired auditor and a hotel general manager.

Before letting the jurors go for the day, Bonaventure told them he is taking every special precaution he can, short of sequestration, to avoid a mistrial.

A 24-hour hotline has been set up so they can report any problems, and bailiffs will escort them wherever they go, Bonaventure said. In addition, they must park in a designated lot, eat lunch together and avoid all contact with the media, including anyone who is writing a book on the case.

Bonaventure said they will be provided newspapers with Rudin-related articles redacted from them, and they are not to bring small computers known as Palm Pilots with them to the courthouse.