Accustomed to wearing Vera Wang gowns on red carpets, singing at the Grammys or autographing her weight-loss memoir, Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson will take on a new role under a very different spotlight — in Chicago's drab criminal courts building at the trial of the man charged with murdering her mother, brother and seven-year-old nephew.
The Hollywood star's presence, and the accompanying media hubbub, is bound to affect the proceedings, which began yesterday. That's when presiding Judge Charles Burns planned to start questioning would-be jurors one by one, trying to weed out anyone who could be swayed by Hudson's celebrity status.
Hudson is expected to be at the trial every day once testimony begins, court officials say, and she's on the 300-name list of witnesses who could testify.
Legal experts widely agree on the No 1 challenge at trials involving megastars: It's identifying 12 jurors able and willing to assess guilt solely on what they hear in court.
Hudson will need to refrain from overt displays of emotion as potentially starstruck jurors' eyes dart back at her, said Gerald Uelmen, a defence attorney at O.J. Simpson's murder trial.
"The risk is that jurors may be watching her rather than testifying witnesses, and they could be influenced by how she reacts," he said. "She would be well advised not to engage in any facial expressions or outbursts. That could be grounds for a mistrial."
Prosecutors say William Balfour, the 30-year-old estranged husband of Hudson's sister, shot the family in a jealous rage because Julia Hudson was dating another man. Hudson, also 30, and Balfour grew up in the same neighbourhood.
The bodies of Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death in the family's home on October 24, 2008. The body of her nephew was found days later.
Balfour's attorneys have said the evidence is circumstantial, though prosecutors say proof he committed the crime will include gun residue found on his car's steering wheel.
Adored by many Chicagoans, Hudson will pose a stark contrast to Balfour, a short man with a long criminal record. He was a one-time Gangster Disciples gang member and known by his street name, "Flex", according to court documents.
The dilemma posed by Balfour's trial became clear last week, when 150 potential jurors filled out their questionnaires in court. Nine of the 66 questions dealt with Hudson's career: Would-be jurors were asked if they'd ever seen her Academy Award-winning film Dreamgirls and if they belong to an organisation for which Hudson is a spokesperson, presumably a reference to Weight Watchers.
It was obvious many potential jurors had heard of the killings, some gasping when the judge first read the name of the case.
The history of high-profile trials — from Simpson's to Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray — suggests it's hard to dim the celebrity glow.
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