No jury questionnaires in Warr trial

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge won't allow former Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr to send questionnaires to potential jurors in his Hurricane Katrina fraud trial.

Warr was the highest-ranking public official charged with fraud related to the 2005 storm. He didn't seek re-election this year.

Warr and his wife, Laura, pleaded not guilty to charges of seeking a homeowners grant for a house they owned but did not live in.

Questionnaires are sometimes used to gauge potential jurors' views.

U.S. District Judge Walter J. Gex III ruled Wednesday that he won't allow them in this case. He said the "questionnaire is unnecessary" and attorneys will be able to question potential jurors in person.