KEVIN MCKIERNAN: This is the fourth day of jury selection. This morning, after extensive questioning, the eighth prospective juror was selected. At the close of yesterday's session, seven jurors had been selected, two women and five men. The prospective juror selected today was Robert H. Christiansen, a 25-year-old Maplewood truck driver and member of the AFL-CIO teamsters.
Mr Christiansen was extensively questioned by Judge Nicol with respect to his attitudes toward American Indians. He was asked, do you have any feelings in general about American Indians? And he responded, I believe the American Indian has received the short end of the deal for quite some years.
Despite this, and despite his knowledge that the American Indian Movement had chosen Wounded Knee because of the 1890 massacre there, and despite the fact that he's the first juror to know this so far, he was passed for cause. That is, passed for as a prospective juror without any prejudice as of this point.
Mr Christiansen also indicated that he was a current member of the Marine Corps Reserve and had chosen the reserves in the Marines because of his opposition to the Vietnam War. And despite this fact, he was passed and not challenged by the prosecution. The trial will resume again about 11:30 or quarter of 12 this morning, with an attempt to pick the ninth prospective juror. This is Kevin McKiernan, at the Saint Paul Federal Courthouse.
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