VIDALIA — Following approximately 10 hours in court Monday, attorneys for both sides picked their jury for the trial of two men accused of murder.

Jury selection began at 9:30 a.m. and continued past 7 p.m.

Lawyers apologized to potential jurors for the length of time they appeared. In addition, Judge Kathy Johnson asked police to find approximately 20 residents who failed to report for jury duty.

“It’s more difficult in a small town like ours (to select a jury) because everyone knows everybody (including) the victim, lawyers (and other parties),” Concordia Parish District Attorney Brad Burget said.

Daniel Butler and Bryant Bethley, who sat quietly in court all day, are charged with second-degree murder stemming from their involvement in the April 2010 fatal shooting of 25-year-old Reginald Green.

Burget asked if potential jurors knew the victim or the defendants, several people raised hands, including one woman who said she was the victim’s cousin.

Some potential jurors who knew the victim, defendants or witnesses said they did not think they could be fair and were later dismissed.

Burget asked potential jurors Monday if they could weigh the testimony of possible convicted felons during the murder trial of Daniel Butler and Bryant Bethley fairly.

“To convict the devil you have to go to hell to get there,” Burget said.

Burget said some of the witnesses taking the stand will not be the type of person jurors would “want to invite over for Sunday dinner,” but jurors must determine if their testimony fits into the bigger puzzle that is the truth.

“Judge not who (the witnesses) are but what they have to tell you and if what they tell you makes sense,” he said.

Bethley’s attorney, Derrick Carson, asked potential jurors if they could separate the charges against the two defendants.

Butler’s attorney, Madaline Gibbs, asked potential jurors the same question.

“A lot of (the evidence) will be the same, but some of it will be different,” Gibbs said.

Opening statements in the trial of Bethley, 126 Lee Tyler Road, and Butler, 359 Doty Road, should begin today.

Both men are charged with second-degree murder stemming from their involvement in the April 2010 fatal shooting of 25-year-old Reginald Green.

Burget said both men face up to life in prison for second-degree murder, a charge which he said he would attempt to prove applied because the men had intent to kill the victim.

Bethley is believed by prosecutors to be the gunman in the incident, and Daniel Butler was allegedly in the vehicle in which Bethley fled the scene, according to Ferriday Police investigators.

Bethley and Butler, along with two other men including Butler’s brother, Reginald Butler, and Andreas Cauley, were arrested in connection to the shooting on the 800 block of Alabama Avenue.

Judge Johnson asked selected jurors not to discuss the case, research it or read about it so that they can base their verdict only on testimony and evidence presented in court.

“I want you blank as a slate,” Johnson said.