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by Mike Caswell

With one week before the trial of Montreal's Jean-Francois Amyot begins in Boston, lawyers for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission have asked the judge to prevent Mr. Amyot from turning the jury selection process into a "fruitless side-show." They say Mr. Amyot, 40, has proposed several unsuitable questions for prospective jurors. Among them are a query about the lively Boston-Montreal hockey rivalry and a blunt question about any bias toward French Canadians.

The SEC says that Mr. Amyot, who is representing himself at the trial, is going beyond proper attempts at uncovering any biases a juror could have. While there is nothing wrong with inquiring about regional or ethnic issues, Mr. Amyot's question list will produce a time-consuming exercise that will achieve no results, according to the SEC. Among his questions are one in which he proposes asking the juror if he is a hockey fan and, in particular, a Boston Bruins fan. If so, Mr. Amyot proposes asking if the hockey rivalry between the Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens would influence the juror. The SEC says the question is pointless, as the trial has nothing to do with hockey. Delving into the strength of a juror's allegiance to the Boston Bruins is simply a "time-consuming, and ultimately fruitless, side-show."

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