Jury selection got off to a slow start Monday in Freeborn County District Court for the trial of former Albert Lea City Manager Jim Norman.

With most of the day taken to handle several pre-trial motions from both the prosecution and the defense, jury questioning only took place for a few hours at the end of the business day.

Selection is expected to continue Tuesday.

Norman is accused of misusing the city-issued credit card for about $2,300 in personal purchases. He faces seven felony charges and one gross misdemeanor charge in the case.

He resigned as city manager of Albert Lea in September as part of a separation agreement between him and the Albert Lea City Council. He has since moved to Wisconsin.

Proceedings Monday were under the direction of Mower County District Court Judge Fred Wellmann, who is handling the case for Freeborn County.

More than 40 potential jurors were called in for jury duty; however, on Monday questioning focused on about 22.

Potential jurors were asked if they knew Norman, his lawyer Peggy Rockow of Albert Lea and Waseca County prosecutor Brenda Miller, along with all of the witnesses expected to testify and members of the Waseca Police Department who investigated the allegations.

The potential jurors were also asked questions about their past and about how much pre-trial publicity they had seen about the case.

Jurors who indicated they had received some exposure to the case before Monday were being brought into a separate courtroom at the end of the day Monday to be questioned individually about whether that exposure tainted their ability to be fair and impartial during the trial.

One potential juror was expected to be excused as of 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Look to the Tribune for more as jury selection continues.