By Paul Courson, CNN, August 7, 2008

7 Aug 2008 // Prosecutors wanted to speed up the weeding out of unqualified jurors in the federal corruption trial of Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, but a judge Thursday rejected their request to mail questionnaires along with jury summonses.

Stevens was indicted last week on seven counts of filing false reports on his mandatory Senate financial disclosure forms. He has pleaded not guilty.

The indictment says that Veco Energy paid for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of work on Stevens' home during a period of about seven years, and that Stevens failed to report it. It also claims that Veco asked Stevens to intervene on its behalf in Washington and that he sometimes did so.

He is not accused of accepting bribes, but the case has clouded the Republican's re-election campaign. Stevens, 84, did not attend Thursday's status hearing.

U.S. Attorney Brenda Morris, hoping to expedite the task of finding 12 jurors and four alternates, said allowing prospective jurors to prepare before coming to the courthouse means their answers are "more detailed, they provide more candor and it makes the selection process quicker."

Defense attorneys did not oppose the idea, but U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan expressed concern about "people Googling to get answers" to influence their being placed on a jury.

Instead, 150 prospective jurors will be brought to a large ceremonial courtroom September 22, and will spend a few hours answering a list of questions to be jointly developed by the defense and prosecution.

The judge said the move will "provide certainty as to who is providing the answers."

Opening arguments are scheduled for September 24. The jury summonses are likely to be mailed this week to residents of the District of Columbia.

On Monday, defense lawyers filed to move the trial to Alaska. In court documents, attorneys for Stevens said the allegations and most of the witnesses are based in Alaska, not Washington.

"The indictment charges Senator Stevens with a failure to disclose gifts that allegedly took the form of an automobile transfer, household renovations, and household goods," wrote defense attorney Robert Cary. "All these gifts were allegedly provided in Alaska."

Prosecutors plan to fight a change of venue, and at last week's arraignment, the judge indicated he would be disinclined to approve the request.