Jury selection concluded this afternoon in the manslaughter trial of Robert LaPointe, and both sides are ready to deliver their opening statements in Cumberland County Superior Court this afternoon.

LaPointe, 39, of Medway, Mass., faces manslaughter and other charges stemming from a boat crash that killed two people on Long Lake in Harrison on Aug. 11, 2007.

During the jury selection process, Justice Robert Crowley ruled against a defense motion to hold the trial in another county. Defense attorneys had argued that press coverage leading up to the trial has been sensational and inflammatory, creating a communitywide bias against LaPointe.