Panther 13 Trial to Start Today; 5 Blacks, 1 Woman on N.Y. Jury

The trial of 13 Black Panthers, held on charges of plotting to bomb police stations, department stores, railroads and the Bronx Botanical Gardens, begins today in New York.

The 11 men and one woman on the jury are relatively young, and five are blacks. "Of course, they're our second choice," one defense lawyer said. "We would have liked a young all-black jury."

Jury Examination

The defense took great care to examine each perspective juror to minimize racism on the jury," according to defense attorney Gerald Lefcourt. His questions centered on the racial and political beliefs of each prospect.

The 13 defendants were among 21 arrested in police raids on April 2, 1969, Nine of the 13 have remained imprisoned since then, unable to post bail ranging up to $100,000.

The defense lawyers have termed the trial-which promises to last several months-"the most controversial case in-town in 20 years."

State Supreme Court Justice John M. Murtagh, who has kept a firm hand on the months of pretrial hearings and jury selections, says it is "just a criminal indictment."