Jury selection for Hudson trial begins

CHICAGO, April 5 (UPI) -- Jury selection for the man accused of killing three of singer and actress Jennifer Hudson's family members begins Monday in Chicago, officials said.

The 150 potential jurors will be welcomed by judge Charles P. Burns around 11 a.m. and introduced to the prosecution and defense lawyers, along with the defendant, William Balfour, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Balfour is accused of fatally shooting Hudson's mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew in October 2008. At that time, Balfour was the estranged husband to Hudson's sister, Julia.

Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother, Jason Hudson, 29, were found slain in the family's Englewood home soon after Balfour had been seen on their block, prosecutors said. Her nephew, Julian King, was found dead three days later on the West Side in Jason Hudson's sports utility vehicle.

Each prospective juror will have to fill out a questionnaire providing background information, including their knowledge of Hudson's career, if they are fans of her work and whether they have followed the media coverage of the slayings.

They will also be questioned individually by the judge to determine if they have been biased by pre-trial publicity of the case.

It could take two or three days to choose 12 jurors and six alternates, the report said.