Greitens Trial: Jury Selection Begins, Woman's Name Will Be Used

ST. LOUIS, MO —Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is in St. Louis this morning for the first day of jury selection in his trial for felony invasion of privacy, which is set to begin Monday. The governor was indicted in February after a woman accused him of taking a non-consensual, partially-naked photo and using it to blackmail her.

In testimony to a Missouri House special committee earlier this year, Greitens' accuser also made allegations of sexual assault which lawmakers deemed largely credible.

Greitens admitted in January to having an affair with his former hair dresser, calling it a "deeply personal mistake," but he denied any wrongdoing. He has not said whether he took the photo. Instead, Greitens blamed a "reckless liberal prosecutor" for the charges against him, calling the investigation a "witch hunt."

Yesterday, Judge Rex Burlison said he would permit the governor's accuser's name to be used at trial. Prosecutors wanted to call her "the victim," but defense attorneys said that term is prejudicial. Patch and other media outlets have not used the woman's name, and that's not likely to change.

Burlison ruled yesterday that Greitens' accuser would be allowed to testify at trial, despite defense attorneys arguing that she had been tainted by a bungling private investigator whom even prosecutors have compared to the fictional Inspector Clouseau.

Prosecutors revealed in court earlier this week that they have been examining the governor's cellphone with the help of forensics experts. They told the judge in March that they do not have the illicit photo Greitens allegedly took with his iPhone, but that they planned to get it. It's not clear that they have, or how much of their case rests on obtaining the photo.

Prosecutors have said that in taking the photo on a smartphone, it was automatically transmitted somewhere, which constitutes a felony under Missouri law, but Greitens' attorneys have challenged that interpretation.

Meanwhile, the governor has also been accused of lying about campaign filings and violating campaign finance law related to his use of a charity donor list to raise money for his run for governor.

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers are calling on the governor to resign. The General Assembly has scheduled a special session to begin May 18 to consider the governor's impeachment.

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.

Image: Greitens' mugshot via St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department