NEWS BRIEFS: Jury selection for Alimohamed trial begins

The prosecution, headed by Assistant District Attorney Roger King, will seek the maximum sentence for Gregory Pennington, 17, and Anthony Archer, also 17 -- life in prison without parole, according to Mathematics Graduate Chairperson Wolfgang Ziller, who worked with Alimohamed at the University. Common Pleas Judge James Fitzgerald reviewed a panel of 40 perspective jurors. Nine jurors remained after the initial dismissal of jurors for whom the case was considered a hardship, Ziller said. King and Judge Fitzgerald then interviewed the remaining prospective jurors individually. At the end of the day, only one juror was selected, Ziller added. In a jury trial, the prosecution and defense each have 21 pre-emptory challenges at their discretion with which they can reject a juror with no explanation, according to Ziller. Each side can also request that jurors be dismissed for cause. The defense must divide its pre-emptory challenges -- 14 for Archer and seven for Pennington. The prosecution has already used two, while Archer's lawyer has used one. The jury selection process will continue this morning with a panel of 60 potential jurors, Ziller said. He speculated that the jury portion of the trial will not begin until Monday, due to the delays in jury selection. Once the jury trial begins, a bus will leave for the courtroom each morning at 9 a.m. from in front of the David Rittenhouse Laboratory. – Jenny Axt New Mexican restaurant opens on campus Cool Peppers Mexican Grill, a new eatery located on 40th Street between Locust and Spruce streets, opened yesterday with a great deal of excitement -- and free nachos and cheese for patrons. According to owners Ken Evans and Tom Flory, the restaurant is intended as an answer to the demand for healthy Mexican food. With a growing response to their two already-open eateries in Deptford, N.J., and Center City Philadelphia, the two decided the time was right to give Penn's community a sample tasting. "We pride ourselves on making everything fresh daily," Flory said. "We don't use any freezers or microwaves. This is about healthy, good-tasting food that does not take a long time to cook and won't empty your wallet either." Flory also explained that he hopes Penn students will take advantage of the "comfortable settings and youthful environment" and make Cool Peppers a regular hangout. With a "Tex/Mex" decor and Los Lobos playing in the background, Wharton seniors Aaron Zagha and J.J. Erlichman found Cool Peppers to have an enjoyable but not overwhelming atmosphere. "Taco Bell is no comparison to this," Zagha said. "The food here is prepared in a healthy, clean, authentic Mexican manner." "I think it just tastes fresher," Erlichman added. The two Los Angeles natives wholeheartedly agreed that the tasty Mexican cuisine provided by Cool Peppers will fill a long-awaited craving by many Penn students from the West Coast who are used to having similar Mexican restaurants nearby. – Karen Pasternack