Testimony starts Thursday in Fort Bend County Judge KP George's felony trial

RICHMOND, Texas (KTRK) -- After two days of questioning potential jurors, 14 people have been selected to serve on Fort Bend County Judge KP George's felony trial.

On Wednesday, George sat front and center as he faced the people who could decide his fate. While he didn't say anything to the potential jurors, his defense team and prosecutors did.

Of the 14 jurors selected, 12 are men, and two are women.

Before they were seated, a group of 70 was questioned. One potential juror said George's campaign sign from his recent primary campaign gave her a visceral reaction.

Another said he was the lowest of the low for switching parties. George was elected twice as a Democrat, but switched sides last year.

Nearly everyone said they knew who he was. Despite their opinions, both sides were able to find enough jurors to move forward.

Legal experts said normally, jury selection for this type of case would've taken possibly days. However, the attorneys already had an idea of what was running through the jurors' minds.

"If you give them a written questionnaire, they're made more comfortable being honest about how they feel about certain topics," legal expert Steve Shellist explained.

George faces two felony charges of money laundering. Prosecutors said he changed campaign finance documents and used the money to pay for his house and property taxes, while George maintains his innocence.

On Thursday, it moves to testimony. The defense says George's former chief of staff, Taral Patel, could be called to the witness stand.

Last year, Patel pleaded guilty to posting fake, racist comments on social media to help George's 2022 re-election. George faces a misdemeanor charge connected to the scheme. That trial is scheduled for two months from now.

Attorneys say both of these cases have received significant media attention and were discussed during jury selection. While many potential jurors said they've seen coverage, experts said you can still find impartial jurors.

"That alone is not enough to get someone excluded," Shellist said. "They've got to have some sort of a bias. They've got to suggest that they've already come into this process having made up their mind."

One of the questions jurors were asked about was whether they would hold it against George if he didn't take the stand. Some said, despite it being his right not to, because he's a public official, they expected him to.

Eyewitness News asked his attorneys if they plan to call George to the stand, and they responded that it'll depend on what happens in the case.

While jurors will decide the verdict, they will not decide the punishment if they convict him. The trial judge, Maggie Jaramillo, said George elected to have her set the punishment.

Jaramillo is a Republican who's up for election this November. George switched to the Republican party last year.

For updates on this story, follow Nick Natario on Facebook, X and Instagram.