FRESNO,CA (KMJ) – Jury Selection began Tuesday in the trial of Valley Assemblyman, Dr. Joaquin Arambula.
In Fresno County Superior Court, jury selection is expected to last all of Tuesday and possibly some of Wednesday, with opening arguments expected late Wednesday or Thursday.
Dr. Arambula faces a misdemeanor charge of child abuse for disciplining his 7-year-old daughter.
The defense will – as they and Dr. Arambula say — reluctantly dispute the account by his daughter claiming that she’s an exceptionally bright child and was exaggerating in her statements to investigators .
“We want to be careful about that – who wants to call their daughter ‘a liar’, ” said Defense Attorney Michael Ead, speaking last week outside the courtroom.
The prosecution will be bringing in a pediatric doctor as the DA’s Office will try to prove Dr. Arambula used excessive force, and that his daughter was marked on her head and not spanked.
Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
