NEWSJennifer Hudson to Possibly Testify at Family Murder Trial
April 9 2012, Published 7:59 a.m. ET
Jennifer Hudson is on the list of 300 potential witnesses for the trial of William Balfour, who is accused of murdering three members of Jennifer's family — her mother, Darnell Donerson; brother, Jason Hudson; and nephew, Julian King, on Oct. 24, 2008.
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Jury selection continued today and is expected to take another three days. Jennifer has rarely spoken about the tragedy, but her fame could have an impact on the jury selection; Judge Charles Burns will attempt to eliminate anyone who might be swayed by Jennifer's celebrity status — nine out of 66 questions on a questionnaire filled out by potential jurors last week were related to Jennifer's career; one asked if they'd ever seen her Oscar-winning turn in Dreamgirls.
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Gerald Uelmen, a defense attorney at O.J. Simpson's murder trial, told the Associated Press that Jennifer will have to refrain from displays of emotion.
"The risk is that jurors may be watching her rather than testifying witnesses, and they could be influenced by how she reacts," he said. "She would be well-advised not to engage in any facial expressions or outbursts. That could be grounds for a mistrial."
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Officials expect the star to attend every day of the trial, which is slated to begin on April 23 and expected to last a month. Balfour, who was at the time the estranged husband of Jennifer's sister Julia, could face a life sentence if convicted.
