The prosecutors are a former street-tough, an ex-lingerie model and gay lawyer who left the seminary to return to the courtroom. The defense includes an outspoken former hippie who, like the defendants is married to a lawyer and owns a rowdy dog. And the judge, a grandson of a late Supreme Court justice, rocked the world of gun manufacturers. Perhaps it's no surprise that a case this bizarre even has a colorful supporting cast.

The Prosecutors

Elected district attorney in 1995, Terence Hallinan first became involved in the legal system as a teenager — on the other side of the law. He was first arrested for reckless driving at age 15, and soon earned a reputation as tough-guy with the nickname "Kayo."

By age 22 he was facing felony battery charges — but the trial ended in a hung jury. He soon turned his energies into the anti-war and civil rights efforts. After graduating the University of California at Berkeley and Hasting College of Law, the bar tried to deny him a license to practice because of his arrest record — but Hallinan successfully challenged them.

Hallinan

He's tackled controversial causes, from the right to use marijuana for religious reasons to examining alternatives to illegal prostitution.

On the personal front, his legal tangles have been controversial as well. Hallinan, now 65, was accused of sexual harassment, and at least one case was settled out of court.

One of his former law clients sued him in 1985, claiming he was the father of her daughter. At the time, Hallinan was married with two children. The woman, Ingrid Jung Baehr, successfully proved that Hallinan was the father of her son, Somes.

Like the victim in this case, Diane Whipple, Hallinan also nearly made an Olympic team — he narrowly missed being a member of the United States boxing team for the 1960 games.

Far from Hallinan's early years as a street-tough, lead prosecutor James Hammer spent his earlier years studying to be a Roman Catholic priest.

The 39-year-old Irish Catholic earned his law degree from Hastings College of Law and worked in the prosecutor's office in Alameda County, Calif. But after a short stint there, he left to become a Jesuit. He left the priesthood, however, in 1995, and returned to prosecuting criminals.

Hammer

Around that time, he also came out to his family and friends that he was gay.

After working in the Santa Clara District Attorney's office for several years, he joined the San Francisco office in 1998.

His co-counsel, 32-year-old Kimberly Guilfoyle, has earned notoriety of her own. The former lingerie model is frequently seen on the society pages and even has a drink named after her at a popular local juice bar. She's also the wife of Gavin Newsom, a county supervisor whose predicted to be the city's next mayor.

But the daughter of an Irish-born father and a Puerto Rican-born mother, who died of cancer when Guilfoyle-Newsom was 10, has earned a reputation of being hard-working and competent with an impressive conviction record to prove it.

Guilfoyle-Newsom

Guilfoyle-Newsom was once fired by Hallinan, who after his election let many prosecutors go, especially those who supported his opponent, Arlo Smith. Guilfoyle-Newsom went to Los Angeles and worked as a prosecutor there, but returned when Hallinan rehired her following his reelection.

The Defense Lawyers

Nedra Ruiz was appointed public defender recently and inherited the case. Ruiz is a member of the law firm of prominent lawyer Tony Serra, who has represented clients such as Sara Jane Olson, who pleaded guilty in connection with crimes committed when she was known as Kathleen Soliah and a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army.

Ruiz

Like her client, she is married to a lawyer — Laurence Lichter. And like the defendants, she and her husband own a dog who got into some trouble. The couple's rottweiler was quarantined for 10 days after the dog went after a plumber who was working outside a neighbor's house.

"Luckily, he didn't go crazy like Bane," Lichter told the San Francisco Chronicle's Matier and Ross column.

Though Robert Noel asked to have his lawyer, Bruce Hotchkiss, removed from the case in order to represent himself, the judge denied the motion. That means that Noel will be represented through the trial by the 67-year-old lawyer, a product of Kansas State University and Washburn University of Topeka law school.

Warren

The Judge

Superior Judge James L. Warren is the grandson of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren. He stunned the gun industry with a landmark decision in 1995 that allowed wrongful death suits against gun manufacturers.

Next: Part VII — An uphill battle for both sides?