Xue legal team seek taxpayer funding to pick jury

A man awaiting trial for allegedly murdering his wife and abandoning his daughter has asked for taxpayer funds so his legal team can research jurors.

Nai Yin Xue 55, allegedly strangled his 27-year-old wife, An An Liu, in Auckland in September 2007.

Police say he then fled to Melbourne where he abandoned his young daughter, Qian Xun Xue, at a railway station before travelling on to the United States.

The Legal Services Agency had confirmed it received an application from Xue's legal team, lead by Chris Comeskey, the Sunday News reported today.

"We do not have a specific policy about the granting of aid for jury vetting and are not aware of having granted aid for this in the past," a spokeswoman said.

"Any application to grant aid for jury vetting would be considered by one of the agency's specialist advisers, who are experienced lawyers."

The newspaper said Mr Comeskey had enlisted Verdix Investigations, the first registered New Zealand company specialising in the practice of jury vetting.

While jury vetting is common practice in the United States, crown and defence teams in New Zealand only get to vet a set number of jurors on appearance, age or gender before a trial as they are called up in court.

- NZPA