More than 150 potential jurors packed a hotel ballroom Friday for the rape trial of a former University of Montana quarterback, as attorneys attempted to seat an impartial panel in a town where Griz football is king. Jury selection in the trial of Jordan Johnson took place at the Holiday Inn after District Judge Karen Townsend said no courtroom was large enough to hold the massive jury pool. The high-profile case is set against a backdrop of NCAA and federal investigations of how the school and the city of Missoula respond to rape allegations on campus. The situation has left some worried that the Grizzlies football program -- while successful on the field -- was out of control off it. The rape accusation against Johnson, 20, has created a buzz across Missoula, a town that centers on the university, and a state where UM football is the top sports attraction. Only two people among the first 39 seated in the jury box raised their hands when assistant attorney general Joel Thompson asked who hadn't heard about the case against Johnson. "Does anybody feel like they're just too big a Griz fan to be on this case?" Thompson then asked. Read more http://espn.go.com/college-football...an-johnson-montana-grizzlies-rape-trial-begin
