 The defense made pre @-@ trial motions arguing that the defendants ' right to trial by a jury of their peers had been denied because , at that time , a potential grand juror had to meet a minimum property requirement , effectively eliminating the less affluent from service . The defense also argued that the jury selection process for the trial was similarly flawed . Their objections to the jury selection process were not successful and jurors included four African Americans and consisted primarily of working @-@ class citizens . 
