Twelve jurors and four alternates have been
seated for the corruption trial of former New York state Senate
Republican leader Joseph Bruno.

Opening arguments are scheduled for the afternoon and the first
witnesses may be questioned soon after on the trial's opening day.

Once a top power broker in New York, the 80-year-old Bruno is
accused of using his position to collect more than $3 million in
return for using his influence to benefit labor unions and private
businessmen.

He has pleaded not guilty and denounced the eight-count January
indictment as a politically motivated fishing expedition.

Bruno seized the Senate's majority leadership post in a 1994
overthrow. He retired in July 2008 after serving more than 30 years
representing an Albany-area district.