VERO BEACH — Opening arguments in the Ira Hatch fraud trial are scheduled to begin Wednesday after prosecution and defense lawyers were able to settle upon six members and four alternates to sit on the jury.The lawyers and Senior Judge James Midelis whittled the jury down from a pool of about 150 candidates starting last week. On Tuesday they were able to fill the remaining seats out of a remaining pool of 20 members. Midelis ordered state prosecutors and defense attorney Gregory Eisenmenger to be prepared to begin the case at 9 a.m. Monday. The prosecution expects their opening arguments in the 46-count felony case to take about an hour. Eisenmenger said his opening statement should take about two hours to complete.Hatch, 62, is accused of misappropriating $4.5 million in client money through his law firm and and an escrow business he ran until 2007.
