After an extensive four-day jury selection process, agreement has been reached on a jury in the retrial of Dalia Dippolito.
Six jurors have been chosen as well as two alternates.
The Palm Beach County woman is accused of a murder-for-hire plot against her husband in 2009 that made national headlines.
Her arrest was seen on national television as the TV show "COPS" documented Dippolito's murder-for-hire bust by Boynton Beach police officers.
Dippolito was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to 20 years in prison, but that verdict was overturned by a judge in Appellate Court.
Dippolito's defense team fought against seating a jury in Palm Beach County right up until the end of the process. When juror questioning concluded, defense attorneys asked the judge once gain to strike the panel and change the venue for jury selection.
"What you're saying is 'Judge, despite your best efforts, you're not suggesting I haven't tried, but you're saying whatever you do it's not going to be enough," said Judge Kelley to Dippolito's defense attorneys.
A fourth day of jury selection for the murder-for-hire trial brought more concerns to the defense team. Causing the judge to question a juror's husband, who has been attending court proceedings, on what he and his wife might know about the case.
"Did she watch 'COPS' with you? asked Judge Kelley. "Yes, she did," responded the juror's husband.
The 'COPS' episode that features Dippolito's case has been at the center of jury selection. The defense attorneys have fought to keep any juror off the panel who has seen the video of the staged crime scene in show where Dippolito was told he husband was dead after she allegedly tried to contract an undercover officer to kill her husband.
"In high profile cases, there is a tendency for prospective jurors to maybe not be as forthright because they want to be on the case," said Brian Claypool, Dippolito's attorney.
Jurors were sworn in under oath to tell the truth and Judge Kelley individually vetted each juror who said they knew something about the case. Still, the defense team believes not all are being honest and asked the judge to strike down the panel, even moments before seating a jury.
Six jurors and two alternates have been sworn in. Dippolito's attorneys will not comment on the Judge's ruling to deny a change of venue, they say now they are looking forward to the trial.
"We’re respectful of the process and we know the judge is doing his best to do the fair thing, it’s a difficult case," said Claypool.
The trial starts at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
