Craft was framed, lawyer says

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RINGGOLD, Ga. -- With a sweeping motion of his hands, an attorney for a former kindergarten teacher charged with child molestation used the words of an old spiritual to make his point to jurors.

"The facts in this case will show it's the defense that put in overwhelming, gut-wrenching time to bring you the whole picture ... not neckbone connected to the backbone," Demosthenes Lorandos told the jury Tuesday.

Mr. Lorandos, one of four attorneys representing Tonya Craft, said the prosecution's evidence in the case is weak.

But state prosecutors in opening arguments Tuesday used graphic details to describe how it plans to show that Ms. Craft molested three children.

Ms. Craft, a former Chickamauga Elementary School teacher, faces 22 counts of child molestation, aggravated sexual battery and aggravated child molestation.

As the second day of Ms. Craft's trial began, a jury of seven men and five women was selected by noon. Authorities spent the rest of the afternoon on opening statements.

Catoosa County Superior Court Judge Brian House adjourned court early to allow the children to testify first today. While the media will be in the courtroom, no public spectators will be allowed while the children are on the stand.

Both sides spent all day Monday questioning more than 200 potential jurors in a larger-than-normal pool. Only the potential jurors were allowed in the courtroom, and even the media was barred from inside.

By Tuesday, reporters were allowed inside the courtroom. Once the jury was selected, the courtroom filled with spectators.

Several potential jurors who were dismissed said the process was long and tedious.

"I was glad I wasn't chosen, because it's going to be a rough trial," said Shirley Black, of Ringgold.

Opening statements began with Catoosa County Assistant District Attorney Len Gregor, who painted a picture of three children harmed by Ms. Craft.

ON THE WEBFollow the Tonya Craft trial each day on twitter.com/timesfreepressWHAT'S NEXTThe alleged victims in the case will testify today. The media is allowed to be in the courtroom, but the public is not.

"The actual truth can be cruel," Mr. Gregor said. "(You) may not want to believe that ... someone that works as a teacher could do such awful things to children."

He said each of the three victims complained to an authority figure at separate times and each child was examined by a sexual assault nurse after the allegations were made.

One of the children didn't have clear signs of being abused, he said, but the other two children had "very suspicious" evidence.

When Mr. Lorandos began his statement, he described a very different scene, arguing that Ms. Craft had been framed by the victims' parents.

"We believe the evidence will show ... it didn't happen the way they said," he repeated to the jury more than four times. "It doesn't make sense."

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