ORLANDO, Fla. _ A jury has been chosen in the trial of Noor Salman, the widow of Pulse nightclub gunman Omar Mateen.
Through the trial's first eight days, U.S. Judge Paul Byron and attorneys questioned dozens of potential jurors, amassing a pool of 57 candidates who said they could be impartial in deciding Salman's fate. On Monday afternoon, 12 jurors and six alternates were picked to hear the case.
The jurors were not present in the courtroom. Details of the jury's makeup _ including the number of men versus women, the approximate ages of the jurors and their ethnicities _ weren't immediately clear.
Testimony in the case is expected to begin Wednesday.
Salman appeared in good spirits in court Monday, talking and laughing with her lawyer. Her defense team provided her with new clothes and she wore a long-sleeved, light pink blouse. Previously, she wore the same black slacks and black and white asymmetric shirt each day. Her team had to get approval to have different outfits and makeup provided to her, said Susan Clary, a spokeswoman for Salman's family.
Members of Salman's family were in court for the trial's eighth day.
Al Salman, the defendant's uncle, told WKMG-TV that he supports Noor Salman "100 percent."
"I know she's innocent and I know 100 percent so I'm gonna go all the way to support her," he said.
During the initial round of interviews, potential jurors faced questions on a range of topics, including their knowledge of the case; their feelings about guns, Muslims and President Donald Trump; their views on terrorism; and their past experiences with law-enforcement.
For most, a key factor in being retained or sent home has been whether they said they could set aside their feelings and try the case fairly.
Salman is accused of aiding her husband's plot to attack Pulse, a gay nightclub where he killed 49 people and injured dozens more in a barrage of gunfire June 12, 2016. She is also accused of lying to investigators after the attack. If convicted, she faces up to life in prison.
