Jury selection began this morning in the criminal case against Pierce County Superior Court Judge Michael A. Hecht.

Court administrators were expected to hand out questionnaires to 75 people, and lawyers hoped to begin the process of whittling that number down to 14 (a jury of 12 plus two alternates) this afternoon.

A jury is not expected to be seated until at least Tuesday. The trial is expected to take at least two weeks.

Hecht is charged with one count of felony harassment and one count of patronizing a prostitute. The latter charge is a misdemeanor. Assistant attorney general John Hillman contends in court documents that Hecht bought sex from one man a number of times and threatened to kill another.

The judge has pleaded not guilty to both counts and claims he’s the victim of a political vendetta by supporters of the man he beat in last August’s election.