Jury selected for Garden City bomb plot trial

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – A jury has been selected for the trial of three militia members accused of plotting to bomb a mosque and apartment complex housing Somali immigrants in Kansas.

Opening statements are expected to begin later Thursday in the trial of Patrick Stein, Gavin Wright and Curtis Allen. All three have pleaded not guilty to several charges, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Prosecutors say a militia member tipped off federal authorities after becoming alarmed by escalating talk of violence.

Defense attorneys say the case is “uniquely political” because much of the anticipated evidence is in reaction to the 2016 presidential election. They argue the case will require jurors to weigh evidence regarding whether the alleged conduct constitutes criminal activity or constitutionally protected speech and assembly.