Jury selection begins in the trial of former St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain who prosecutors accuse of sex crimes with juveniles.
Prosecutors charged Strain, 58, with eight counts of sex crimes involving juveniles after a grand jury indictment in 2019.
Strain was arrested in June 2019 and has been out on bond.
Strain faces four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated incest, one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile, and one count of sexual battery. He has pleaded not guilty to the allegations from the early 2000s when he was still serving as sheriff. If convicted he could face life in prison.
"Currently with trails you would expect to see a lot of evidence from text messages to video cameras. These accusations happened many years ago so you may not see that as much as far as technological evidence but there should be a number of witnesses coming forth," Attorney and Former Public Defender Kenn Barnes told WWLTV.
"Jury selection is an art form. A serious prosecutor and defense attorney will take as much time as they can," said Attorney Barnes.
The trial will be held at the 22nd Judicial Courthouse in Covington and is expected to last several weeks.
Strain also faces trial in federal court in New Orleans for alleged corruption involving a prisoner work-release center.