Jury selection for the trial of former Luzerne County judge Mark Ciavarella will begin on February 7, 2011 in Scranton, a judge ordered Thursday.

Scheduling conflicts with Ciavarella’s attorneys as well as the need to carefully asses the jury because of extensive pre-trial media coverage postponed what U.S. District Judge Edwin Kosik said he would have liked to begin in November.

Ciavarella will stand trial on a 48-count indictment that includes charges of racketeering, money laundering, wire fraud, bribery and extortion, among other offenses. The charges stem from allegations that Ciavarella and another former Luzerne County judge, Michael Conahan, accepted millions of dollars from the owner of two juvenile detention facilities in exchange for sentencing unrepresented juveniles to the facilities.

Conahan pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy last month and is awaiting his sentence.