LOS ANGELES — A panel of nine men and three women is hearing evidence against Phil Spector in the 2003 death of actress Lana Clarkson. They include a journalist once assigned to the case, the estranged wife of a convicted murderer, a civil engineer working on his PhD and a Broadway actor-turned-film executive. The average age of the panel is 48, about two decades younger than the defendant.

In a case that may turn on the handling of a handgun, five of the jurors reported in extensive questionnaires that they had fired a weapon. Four said they owned a gun, including three who own two weapons. The use of drugs and alcohol is also central in the trial. Four jurors said that either they or someone in their family used Vicodin, the painkiller found in Clarkson's system. Three jurors acknowledged drunk-driving arrests in their past, with three others citing relatives arrested for DUI.

All acknowledged following to some degree high-profile celebrity trials in California, specifically those of Robert Blake, Michael Jackson and, of course, O.J. Simpson.

Here are more detailed profiles of the panelists, based on their questionnaires:

Juror No. 1

A Los Angeles native, Juror No. 1 works for the L.A. Superior Court as a court service assistant in the probation violation system. The 37-year-old lives with a domestic partner, is the co-owner of an auto detailing business, and is raising two children, one in elementary school and one in high school. Her brother, whom she described as a gang member, spent time behind bars. Her cousin was killed in a drive-by shooting. Her former husband was arrested for driving under the influence. Her father was an alcoholic. She thinks celebrities tend to break the rules and the police are more lenient with them than others. Asked what she had heard about case, she wrote, "Just small reports about him telling the limo driver he thought he killed someone." She said she would expect a defendant to testify in his own defense "because this is his freedom at stake," but if he didn't, "I would think that maybe his lawyer did not feel it would be a good idea to do so."

Juror No. 2

A senior producer for Dateline NBC, Juror No. 2 was assigned to cover the Spector trial as a journalist before being seated on the panel. The 41-year-old man acknowledged in his questionnaire that he had read, heard and watched just about everything available about the shooting, from an 80-page civil deposition to the "voluminous" court file to reports from a dozen media outlets. Told to detail what he had heard about the case, he wrote, "Almost too much to specify." He noted that he is well-versed in information ruled inadmissible at Spector's trial. "It is hard to 'unring the bell.' Hard, but not impossible, I think," he wrote. He penned a special note on the front page of the questionnaire warning the judge and attorneys that it will be impossible for him to remain anonymous because NBC employees who report to him will be in the courtroom covering the trial.

The married father of two preschoolers said his focus on high-profile crime stories (he is Dateline's liaison with Court TV) has brought him into contact with some experts slated to take the stand, including pathologist Michael Baden and forensic scientist Henry Lee. He said he followed the O.J. Simpson and Michael Jackson cases for his job and said celebrity defendants get different treatment in the justice system. "They can have access, sometimes, to legal talent and can conduct investigations in their defense," he wrote. His opinion about the Spector case? Strictly professional: "I've probably said it's a fascinating case and recommended coverage of it."

Juror No. 3

Juror No. 3 works as a research specialist at a bank, locating missing deposits and filing fraud claims. The 45-year-old said she never heard of Spector before the shooting. "I've not been too interested following the news probably for that reason," she said. Of three other high-profile cases — Simpson, Blake and Jackson — she said, "You really couldn't get away from them. They were all over the radio and TV." She called them a "media circus" that wasted time. About celebrity defendants, she wrote, "I do think that in a lot of cases the more money you have for a defense the better defense you may have. Not always of course, but it does seem this way."

Her husband, an iron worker, died of what she called "an accidental overdose." She now lives with her 22-year-old son and her parents. She has some personal experience with crime. Her car was stolen. Her neighbor was shot recently. Her son was arrested for DUI. She has served on three juries and described the experience as "interesting mostly, stressful deliberating." She said Spector did not have to testify, but "I guess it would be really interesting if he did."

"I do think that in a lot of cases the more money you have for a defense the better defense you may have," she said, "Not always of course, but it does seem this way."

Juror No. 4

A mechanic for Federal Express, Juror No. 4 is a 47-year-old husband and father of two teenage boys. His niece is married to an LAPD officer and his nephew was shot at while walking home five years ago. He was involved in a civil suit after a work-related accident. "I think the criminal justice system is fair to everybody," he wrote. Asked what he knew about the Spector case, he wrote, "I remember reading in the newspaper that Mr. Spector picked up Ms. Clarkson at a party and took her to his house and murdered her." He expects defendants to testify. "I think that if a defendant doesn't testify in his own defense he has something to hide," he wrote.

Juror No. 5

Juror No. 5, a 54-year-old mother of two grown children who works as an assistant to a deputy mayor, said she knows little more about the case than "a woman was found dead in Spector's home." She did, however, follow the Simpson case closely. "Because he was an All-American, pro football player accused of murdering his wife. Did he? I wanted to know," she wrote. Asked for her impression of that case, she wrote, "Justice system worked."

She has been married for 15 years, but has been separated from her husband for 14 1/2 of those years. Her husband, who had served time for murder before they met, is currently incarcerated. She said she left him shortly after they wed because he became a crack addict. "I really should get a divorce," she wrote. She said she had not seen him for 12 years. Her daughter worked for the 911 system for a year. Her son is in the Air Force and has a gun. She said she had fired a weapon in the past, but does not own a gun. She has served on two juries and called the experiences an "eye opener."