Capital murder trial in 2-year-old's death starts Monday

After four days of selection, a jury has been seated in the capital murder trial of Harve Lamar Johnson.

Six men and six women are to hear opening statements about the death of 2-year-old Darisabel Baez on Monday in the York County Judicial Center.

York City Police allege Johnson viciously beat Darisabel, his girlfriend's daughter, last year.

The girl died from injuries at Hershey Medical Center on April 7, 2008.

Johnson, 28, is charged with first-degree murder. His trial is expected to take at least a week and a half.

The girl's mother, Neida Elizabeth Baez, 21, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder last week in a plea agreement for five to 10 years in state prison.

Judge Michael J. Brillhart, who is presiding over the trial, ordered the commonwealth and defense to pick four alternates to also hear the case. Brillhart said the surplus jurors were needed because of the expected length of the trial and because "it's flu season."

The jurors were picked from a panel of 99 candidates summoned specifically for the trial.

Jury selection ran long as the attorneys closely questioned potential jurors individually about the death penalty.