Attorneys selected a jury in Alpena’s 26th Circuit Court on Tuesday for the trial of Kevin Baughan, accused of trying to kill several people in late 2020.

Police say Baughan, now 32, poured gasoline in the kitchen and living room of an Alpena County home and planned to light the house on fire while two adults and four children were inside.

Defense attorney Ron Bayot, deputy defender at the Northeast Michigan Regional Defender Office, declined to comment on the defense’s intended strategy or say whether he would call any witnesses.

“Mr. Baughan is anxiously awaiting his trial, and we at the public defender’s office will provide a zealous defense,” Bayot said.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Defense attorney Ron Bayot, right, speaks with a bailiff on Tuesday after jury selection for a trial in Alpena’s 26th Circuit Court, to begin on Wednesday.

Both Bayot — along with co-counsel Julie Miller, deputy chief defender with the public defender’s office — and Alpena County Prosecutor Cynthia Muszynski probed into prospective jurors’ attitudes toward intended crime as criminal action in its own right.

Jurors will need to decide not only what Baughan did but whether he acted with a “specific intent to kill,” Bayot told the pool of prospective jurors during questioning.

After nearly four hours of questioning, attorneys seated a jury of 13 people, including one alternate, who will be chosen at the conclusion of the trial.

At least a dozen people called for jury duty did not show up in the courtroom on Tuesday morning. Those no-shows “will be here at a later date,” Judge Ed Black said, thanking those who showed up for jury duty.

One juror, responding to Muszynski’s questions, compared a trial to a puzzle, in which jurors must decide if the prosecution has provided enough pieces — and the right ones — to complete a picture adequate for the jury to find the defendant guilty.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Kevin Baughan, center, sits with attorneys Ron Bayot, left, and Julie Miller in Alpena’s 26th Circuit Court on Tuesday.

Muszynski will try to create that picture as she calls her first witnesses on Wednesday.

Baughan faces six charges of attempted murder, one charge of assault with attempt to murder, two arson charges, and a charge of assaulting or resisting a police officer.

Someone convicted of attempted murder can be sentenced to up to life in prison, depending on their circumstances and the circumstances of the crime.

Baughan rejected a plea offer that could have led to a sentence of 20 to 40 years.

Baughan has been held without bond in the Alpena County Jail since his arrest in December 2020.

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693 or jriddle@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jriddleX.