Jury sworn in for corruption trial of former Oakland mayor

After a full day of selection, 12 jurors took an oath for the high-profile criminal case.OAKLAND, Calif. (CN) — Jury selection concluded Tuesday in the a federal criminal trial of a former Oakland, California, mayor and three co-defendants facing charges of bribery, conspiracy and fraud.Prosecutors say Sheng Thao, whom voters recalled in a 2024 election, and three others used their political leverage to set up million-dollar contracts for affordable housing units.Thao’s attorney Jeff Tsai asked potential jurors if her recall would color their thoughts about the case.“Is there anyone here who thinks that would be difficult?” he asked. “Is there anyone here who thinks, I am not sure I can do it?”Twelve jurors were sworn in at the end of the day after several hours of questioning by the judge and attorneys. Nine will sit on the jury, with the remainder as alternates. The trial will likely last six weeks.During the first part of voir dire, Chief U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonazalez Rogers asked individual potential jurors, in groups of 20, if they can be objective and about their thoughts about law enforcement and about a defendant’s right to remain silent.“If the government charges you with crime, you don’t have to say anything, because you are innocent and it’s the government’s burden to prove otherwise,” the Barack Obama appointee told the groups.“Can you afford them that right?” she asked a potential juror who answered “maybe” on the question of whether a defendant appears guilty if they remain silent.“Yes, I believe I can,” the potential juror responded.Federal prosecutors indicted Thao, 41, in January 2025 on six counts of conspiracy and bribery. Her romantic partner Andre Jones, 55, and David Duong, 68, and Andy Duong, 37 — prominent Oakland father-son businessmen with associations in real estate and politics — were also charged. Thao faces a maximum sentence of 95 years in prison if convicted of all charges. All four have pleaded not guilty.Thao is accused of taking bribes of up to $95,000 in cash payments to further the business interests of the Duong family, which owns local recycling business California Waste Solutions.The prosecution’s case hinges largely on the confession and cooperation of Mario Juarez, a former business partner of the Duongs whose credibility will likely be called into question by the defense.In 2022, Juarez started Evolutionary Homes, a shipping container shelter company, with the Duongs. Federal prosecutors say the Duongs bribed Thao and Jones to secure city contracts for Evolutionary Homes and California Waste Solutions. Besides Juarez, over 50 other possible witnesses could testify during the trial.Prosecutors also say the Duongs gave Jones a no-show job and funded $75,000 in political attack ads against Thao’s mayoral opponents in the 2022 election.In 2024, Juarez gave information to the FBI after a falling-out with the Duongs. The defendants’ homes and the California Waste Solutions building were raided by the FBI in June 2024.Rogers asked numerous potential jurors if they had been exposed to any media coverage of the case, and more than half said they had. One potential juror cited “a very lengthy San Francisco Chronicle article.”David Duong’s attorney Edward Swanson asked the man who read the article if he could come to the jury “with a clean slate.”The potential juror responded, “I would have to see what comes in.”Many potential jurors came from backgrounds in tech, with several retirees, teachers, human resource managers, students and healthcare providers mixed in. Rogers excused several for social anxiety and hardships, and one woman who has lingering thoughts after she worked for Recology, the San Francisco garbage collection monopoly, during its own corruption proceedings was also let go.Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd Farnham asked potential jurors about their past experiences with court cases, jury service and concerns about a cooperating witness’s credibility.In the lead-up to the trial, Rogers denied the inclusion of some evidence, including Juarez’s tax returns, and videos related to a Vietnam trip paid for by the Duongs that hosted other politicos.Opening statements begin Wednesday at the Ronald V. Dellums Courthouse in Oakland.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads