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Taylor Swift present as jury hears opening arguments in groping trial
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Taylor Swift attends Z100's Jingle Ball 2014 at Madison Square Garden on December 12, 2014 in New York City. (shutterstock.com/Debby Wong/File)
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US jury heard opening arguments Tuesday in a civil suit brought by a Denver DJ who claims he was slandered when pop singer Taylor Swift complained that he groped her during a photo opportunity at a 2013 concert.
The 27-year-old Swift, who has counter-sued, looked on with her mother at her side in the Denver courtroom as David "Jackson" Mueller took the stand to testify.
The case has received significant media attention, but public turnout for the trial has been far less than court officials had expected.
Mueller is seeking $3 million in lost wages and future income, alleging he was wrongfully fired from KYGO radio station as a result of Swift's complaint.
Mueller's attorney Gabriel McFarland told the eight member jury it was a "he said, she said situation."
Mueller claims Swift mistook him for someone else.
The singer, who alleges he lifted her skirt and fondled her buttocks during the photo op, has said she knew who had assaulted her.
Her lawyer, Doug Baldridge, told the jury that four members of Swift's team were in the room where the photo was taken, and knew immediately something wrong had happened.
"It's not inappropriate touching. It's an assault," Baldridge said.
He said Mueller, who was 51 at the time of the incident, has changed his story seven times since it occurred. "This side has never changed its position," he said.
Read also: Taylor Swift in court as trial begins in groping case
According to Baldridge, Mueller had destroyed five laptops or cell phones that may have contained recorded evidence of his meeting with KYGO executives, possibly including other references to the DJ's behavior that the radio station was not happy with.
Jurors hearing the case were picked earlier in the day from a pool of 16 prospective jurors.
Swift and her mother, Andrea Swift, watched while they were asked if they were familiar with the circumstances of the civil case.
They were questioned specifically about their familiarity with either Swift or Mueller and whether they considered themselves to be fans of their work.
Some fans were in the courtroom, but the celebrity trial has so far not drawn big crowds, and many of the 32 seats reserved for the public were empty.
"I'm a huge Taylor Swift fan. This is a huge event and it's exciting to be a part of it," said Jacquelyn Evans, 32, an unemployed food safety specialist.
Arthur Lewis, also 32 and a real estate agent, said he's "a big supporter of Taylor Swift and just wanted to check it out."
Swift, who appeared in court wearing a dark suit over a bluish-green blouse, has said she will donate any damages awarded in her suit to charities that fight sexual assault on women.
