By David E. Frank
david.frank@lawyersweekly.com
Lawyers spent Tuesday empanelling jurors in Suffolk Superior Court on the sexual assault case of Boston attorney Gary Zerola.
With a few seats still remaining on the jury, several courthouse sources told Lawyers Weekly they expected opening statements to begin Wednesday morning.
Zerola, 36, is accused of two separate incidents of rape, one occurring in 2004 and the other in 2006.
Both matters involve allegations of abuse by 19-year-old women in which Zerola is accused of illegally providing them alcohol.
Because the two cases have been severed, prosecutors have elected to try the 2006 indictment first.
Superior Court Judge Regina L. Quinlan has not yet ruled on whether the jury will be permitted to hear about the 2004 incident. It is believed she will make that determination some time during the trial after hearing from the alleged victim in a voir dire proceeding.
Where Zerola is a former Suffolk County prosecutor, the case is being handled by Middlesex County prosecutor Suzanne M. Kontz.
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