Jury selection ends for day in Taylor Swift case

Taylor Swift (Photo: TaylorSwift/Facebook)

DENVER — The Latest on a civil trial involving Taylor Swift and a former DJ she accused of groping her (all times local):

5 p.m.

Jury selection in the Taylor Swift civil case involving a groping claim has ended for the day and will resume Tuesday.

Swift has sued radio host David Mueller, accusing him of inappropriately touching her before a 2013 concert in Denver.

Mueller denies the allegation and says in his lawsuit that Swift’s team got him fired from his radio station job by reporting the allegation to his bosses _ not the police.

Before sending jury candidates home Monday. U.S. District Judge William Martinez ordered them to avoid discussing the case or viewing news reports about it.

Several prospects were questioned by Gabriel McFarland, an attorney for Mueller, and Douglas Baldridge, Swift’s attorney.

They were asked if any personal experiences or exposure to news about the case would influence their objectivity.

Baldridge removed one prospect for purportedly pre-judging the case based on a photo at the centre of the dispute.

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3:30 p.m.

Taylor Swift and a former radio host aren’t looking at each other in court as jury selection proceeds in their lawsuits involving a groping claim.

David Mueller, wearing a dark suit, sat Monday at the plaintiff’s table with his back turned to Swift, who sat at a nearby table with her mother, Andrea Swift, and their attorneys.

Mueller often appeared to be reading documents as the judge questioned prospective jurors in the dueling lawsuits.

Swift watched the proceedings closely, occasionally conferring with her counsel.

Mueller sued Swift, claiming she and her team falsely accused him of groping her during a photo-taking session before a 2013 concert.

He says Swift’s team told Mueller’s bosses at a country music station, and he was fired from his DJ position.

Swift countersued Mueller, claiming she was sexually assaulted.

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1:50 p.m.

Taylor Swift is in federal court in Denver for the start of jury selection in her lawsuit against Denver disc jockey David Mueller involving a groping allegation.

Swift wore a white dress with a black jacket on Monday as the eight-member jury is chosen from a pool of 60 prospects.

There will be no alternates.

Swift and Mueller aren’t required to be in court for jury selection, which is expected to end Tuesday.

They must be present for the rest of the trial. Swift is expected to testify.

Mueller was fired from his job at a country music station after Taylor’s team told his boss that Mueller grabbed her buttock during a meet-and-greet before a 2013 Swift concert in Denver.

Mueller later sued Swift, denying anything happened, and is seeking at least $3 million in damages.

Swift countersued, alleging sexual assault by Mueller. She says she wants to hold Mueller accountable and is seeking $1.

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1 p.m.

Prospective jurors in a civil trial involving dueling lawsuits between Taylor Swift and an ex-Denver radio disc jockey are being asked whether they are fans of the singer-songwriter or the former host of a country music show.

A 15-page questionnaire released as jury selection began Monday also asked prospects if they had ever been inappropriately touched, seen Swift in concert, downloaded or purchased her music or were at the June 2013 show where Swift says David Mueller touched her on the buttocks.

Mueller denies any inappropriate contact.

He claims he was fired after Swift falsely accused him of grabbing her and he is seeking up to $3 million in damages.

Swift countersued, alleging sexual battery by Mueller.

Jury selection is expected to last through Tuesday. A total of eight jurors will be picked for the trial expected to last two weeks in federal court.

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12:15 p.m.

Security is tight at Denver federal court for the start of a civil case pitting Taylor Swift against a former disc jockey she accuses of groping her.

Police and a bomb-sniffing dog waited in the rain Monday with about a dozen reporters before potential jurors were set to arrive for questioning.

David Mueller has sued Swift, saying he lost his job after she falsely accused him of grabbing her backstage before a 2013 concert.

He’s seeking $3 million from the pop superstar.

Swift is countersuing, claiming sexual assault. She says she wants to hold Mueller accountable and is seeking $1.

Swift doesn’t have to be in court for jury selection, which is expected to end Tuesday.

But she does have to be present for the rest of the trial and is expected to testify.

Members of the public can line up to watch proceedings from an overflow room in the courthouse, but so far there hasn’t been a big turnout.

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1:50 a.m.

A few moments at a backstage photo session four years ago are about to be relived, as lawyers for pop star Taylor Swift and a former disc jockey she accuses of groping her begin picking jurors in their dueling lawsuits.

Radio host David Mueller sued the singer-songwriter, saying he was falsely accused and that she should have called police instead of his bosses, who fired him soon after the June 2013 encounter. He’s seeking up to $3 million in damages.

Swift countersued, claiming sexual assault, setting up the civil trial where she is expected to testify amid tightened courthouse security.

Jury selection is to start Monday. Opening statements were expected to begin Tuesday in the case that could last two weeks. Court documents say it is unlikely that either side will settle.