Liberia, June 9 -- Jury selection began Monday in what prosecutors and anti-trafficking advocates describe as Liberia's largest human trafficking case, nine months after victims, some of the country's poorest citizens, first filed complaints against the accused perpetrators.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers screened prospective jurors at Criminal Court "A" at the Temple of Justice, the seat of Liberia's judiciary, selecting 12 jurors from a pool of 27 to hear the high-profile case. Three additional jurors will be selected Tuesday to serve as alternates. Under Liberia's jury system, 12 jurors decide the outcome of the trial, while alternate jurors may be called upon if needed.

In Liberia's criminal justice system, the fate of defendants ...