Jury Selection Begins in Legislator's Fraud Trial DECATUR, AL (APR - Alabama Public Radio ) - A jury is to be selected in the trial of a state legislator accused of using her political power to get a job in Alabama's two-year college system and then rarely
showing up for work.

Jury selection begins Monday morning at the federal courthouse in Decatur in the trial of Rep. Sue Schmitz. She is a Democrat from Toney.

It's the first trial of a legislator in the wide-ranging federal probe of the two-year college system.

The 63-year-old Schmitz is charged with fraud in the receipt of federal funds and mail fraud. She is accused of taking more than $177,000 in salary but rarely showing up for work in her job with the two-year system's CITY program.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) © Copyright 2021, APR - Alabama Public Radio