[UPDATE] Jury Selection Resumes in Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin’s Corruption Trial

[UPDATE]  Jury selection picks back up at noon today in former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's corruption trial.

Selection started Monday, but the blast of winter weather forced the Federal Courthouse in New Orleans to shut down for two days. The judge questioned 60 prospective jurors before the shut-down.

[ORIGINAL STORY, Jan. 27th, 2014]  The long-awaited corruption trial of former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin begins today in federal court.

Prosecutors say Nagin was given over $100,000 in kickbacks in exchange for multi-million-dollar city construction contracts. Loyola Law Professor Dane Ciolino tells Louisiana Radio Network in Baton Rouge that this is a classic public corruption trial.

"The former mayor is accused, of course, of using his office to benefit contractors," Ciolino says. "And in exchange, he's accused of receiving benefits -- plane trips, money."

Nagin got national attention during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and a rebuilding effort spurred by billions of federal dollars. Ciolino says Nagin is the first mayor in New Orleans' 300-year history to be indicted and face a federal corruption trial.

Ciolino tells LRN there have been several people that have already plead guilty to crimes connected to this case. He says over the course of the next two weeks, Nagin is going to see a lot of old friends take the stand and testify against him.

Jury selection in Nagin's case is underway today in New Orleans.