PacificCoastNews.comThe world is about to find out whether there are, in fact, 12 past-their-prime pop stars looking to make a comeback in Los Angeles. Yes, jury selection has begun in Britney Spears' delay-plagued trial on misdemeanor driving without a license.
The long-awaited search for a jury of Spears' peers began in Judge James A. Steele's Van Nuys Court this morning, with the first pool of 30 potential jurors undergoing questioning.
To whittle down the pack, prospective jurors were asked if they had any connections to Spears; one woman, Juror No. 19, said she knew Spears' manager but was not automatically dismissed.
Two reporters, however, were, after violating judges' orders not to use cell phones in the courtroom.
Spears herself, who faces trial after rejecting a deal in which she would plead guilty, spend a year on probation and pay a $150 fine, was not—and is not expected to be—present for the proceedings.
Attorneys once again met with the judge for more than an hour this morning, though a deal remained unreached.
The charge itself stems from an August 2007 hit-and-run in which the 26-year-old dinged a parked car in a paparazzi-infested parking lot. She was found at the time to be in possession of a Louisiana driver's license, but not a California one.
She has since corrected the DMV gaffe and her attorney J. Michael Flanagan maintains that the case has only advanced to its current trial stage as a result of Spears' celebrity.