Las Vegas ? An all-white jury was chosen late Thursday to judge O.J. Simpson and a co-defendant on kidnapping and robbery charges after a contentious courtroom battle in which defense lawyers argued blacks were being systematically excluded by the prosecution.

District Attorney David Roger defended the final makeup of the jury, saying that two of six alternate jurors are black. Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass said she saw no evidence of a systematic exclusion of blacks.

Roger gave the judge what he called “race neutral” reasons for removing two black women from the jury panel with his peremptory challenges.

Defense attorneys for Simpson and co-defendant Clarence “C.J.” Stewart, who are both black, moved to dismiss the entire jury – nine women and three men – and start again. The judge turned down the motion.

Simpson’s 1995 acquittal on murder charges came from a predominantly black jury.