Court officials seated a jury in the state’s child labor case against former Agriprocessors executive Sholom Rubashkin this afternoon.

Associate District Court Judge Nathan Callahan swore in eight people — six jurors and two alternates — shortly after 3 p.m. and admonished them to not discuss the case or seek out information about it.

The jury is composed of 5 women and 3 men.

Callahan told jurors to return to the courtroom at 8:45 a.m. Monday.

Members of Rubashkin’s family also have been in the courtroom during jury selection.

Rubashkin, 50, is charged with 83 misdemeanor counts of child labor violations, and prosecutors said minors worked at Agriprocessors’ Postville plant near dangerous machinery and toxic chemicals.

An attorney for the corporation entered a guilty plea to charges against the company on Tuesday. Attorney Mark Weinhardt said the plea didn’t reflect on the knowledge or intent of Sholom Rubashkin or his father, Abraham Aaron Rubashkin, who is another corporate officer, but instead on others at the plant.

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office, which is prosecuting the case, dropped charges against Abraham Aaron Rubashkin and human resources employee Laura Althouse.

Charges against human resources workers Elizabeth Billmeyer and Karina Freund were separated for further proceedings at a later date. Assistant Attorney General Thomas H. Miller said the state had worked out agreements with the two.

(Source: WCF Courier)