By Jim Haley
Herald Writer
The sex trial of a female Snohomish County schoolteacher who is accused of illicit contact with teen-age boys is finally expected to get under way Monday.
About 75 jurors will be summoned as a pool from which a jury of 12 plus alternates will be selected to hear evidence in the case of Susan G. Lemery, 38, of Marysville.
She’s accused of three counts each of third-degree child molestation and third-degree rape of a child for alleged sexual contact with two 14-year-old boys who were friends of her son.
The trial has been continued several times since Lemery was charged nearly a year ago, the last coming in early May when Lemery learned that the then-trial judge is married to a deputy prosecutor.
Lemery’s attorney, David Allen of Seattle, objected and was allowed to switch judges.
The new Snohomish County Superior Court judge, Ellen Fair, said she has conducted pretrial rulings and is ready to proceed.
The prospective jurors will be asked to fill out a questionnaire, and it’s likely many will be quizzed by the lawyers about what knowledge they have of the much-publicized case, and any private personal history that could prejudice a decision.
Fair said the jurors are not expecting to sit on a trial that could last three weeks, so a few may have valid excuses for not being on the panel. Normal jury service is one week.
If a jury is picked quickly, Fair said Allen and deputy prosecutor Lisa Paul could give opening statements as early as Wednesday.
Lemery is a Mukilteo School District second-grade teacher who had been on paid administrative leave since last June.
Prosecutors have alleged that both victims were friends of her son and a part of a group of teen-agers who regularly spent time at the Lemery home during the fall of 2000 and spring of 2001.
Paul hopes to show that the home was a "party place" where young people were entertained and teens could engage in activities that their parents wouldn’t allow.
Paul also hopes to show through genetic evidence that a soiled bedspread seized from the Lemery master bedroom contains the DNA of the defendant and one of the victims.
Part of the state’s case also is an attempt to show a pattern contact via e-mail with the alleged victims.
You can call Herald Writer Jim Haley at 425-339-3447 or send e-mail to haley@heraldnet.com.
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