A former youth hockey coach accused of sexually assaulting young boys in Butte and Flathead County went on trial Monday, 30 months after he was arrested on initial allegations in the case.

But jury selection in the case of Jami Leslie James took all day so opening arguments and testimony were to start Tuesday morning. A jury of six women and six men will hear the case.

Prosecutors say six alleged rapes occurred between 2019 and early 2021 and involved three boys, all 8 or 9 years old at the time, who were participants in a private hockey program run by James.

James, now 50, is charged with six counts of sexual intercourse without consent, a felony charge in Montana that usually involves alleged penetration by an object or body part.

James pleaded not guilty in April 2023 to two counts

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