The jury was chosen yesterday for the September murder trial of Josephy A. Ventura, who police say fatally stabbed a Penn State student at a downtown club in February 2006.

The jury comprises eight women and four men, said Joseph Amendola, Ventura's attorney.

Ventura, who is black, will have no Hispanics or blacks sit on his jury; there was one black woman in the jury pool who said at the selection that she would not be available at the time of the trial, Amendola said.

Ventura's trial is set for Sept. 10, 11 and 12, Amendola said.

Amendola said he believes the jury that was picked yesterday will be fair.

Madeira agreed, saying: "I'm sure that we picked one that will be fair and impartial."

Amendola said it's unfavorable for the case to go to a jury trial because "that means the efforts to resolve the case have failed."

Ventura, 28, is charged with first- and third-degree murder in connection with the Feb. 17, 2006, stabbing of Penn State student Michael Donahue, who died two days later from a puncture wound to the heart.

Ventura told police he was at Club Love, now Lulu's Nightspot, 129 1/2 S. Pugh St., with his girlfriend Kristen Fisher and Robert Walsh, according to court documents.

Ventura said his girlfriend was punched in the face by one person and punched in the stomach by another, which upset him because he said his girlfriend was pregnant, according to documents.
Walsh said to police that a fight ensued between Ventura's and Donahue's friends, though he said it had nothing to do with Fisher, according to court documents. Walsh told police that when he and Ventura were pulled away, someone yelled that a person had been stabbed.

During the altercation, Donahue had been stabbed on the left side of his chest.

He was taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center for emergency treatment, according to court documents. At 6:30 p.m. Feb. 19, Donahue died from the injury.

Ventura was taken into custody and then interviewed by two State College police detectives who, while searching Ventura's jacket, found a knife with blood on the blade, according to court documents.

Ventura told police the knife was his but denied stabbing anyone and said the blood on the knife was his own, according to court documents.

Ventura maintains that he acted in self-defense because he feared for his safety, Amendola said.

"He acted out of heat of passion, heat of fear," Amendola said, highlighting that Ventura was trying to protect his girlfriend.