Subject:  Jurors go home for weekend without a verdict |
Author:
Chris
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Date Posted: 05/30/08 6:55pm
In reply to:
Chris
's message, "No verdict in first day of Fieger deliberations" on 05/28/08 7:32pm
Friday, May 30, 2008
Jurors in Fieger trial go home for weekend without a verdict
Paul Egan / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- Jurors in the criminal trial of high-profile Southfield attorney Geoffrey Fieger and his law partner Ven Johnson went home for the weekend Friday without reaching a verdict.
The nine men and three women, who have now deliberated for three days, are to resume deliberations at 9 a.m. Monday.
Several jurors went outside for a break shortly after 2 p.m. On Thursday, they had asked U.S. District Judge Paul D. Borman if they could leave 45 minutes early Friday, at 3 p.m. Shortly before 3 p.m., they asked to examine another exhibit in the case but went home shortly after 3 without reaching a unanimous verdict.
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Fieger, 57, and Johnson, 46, were indicted last year on conspiracy and illegal campaign contribution charges, accused of illegally reimbursing political donations made by employees, employee relatives and law firm vendors to the 2004 presidential campaign of Democrat John Edwards.
Initially, prosecutors alleged Fieger's firm reimbursed 64 "straw donors" to the amount of $127,000.
But after closing their case last week, prosecutors said they had only proven that Fieger reimbursed 57 Edwards donors for $113,000. The reduction in the amount of money and donors allegedly involved does not affect the number of counts Fieger and Johnson face.
Fieger is also charged with obstruction of justice, a 10-year felony.
Fieger, a 1998 Democratic candidate for governor who rose to prominence in the 1990s representing assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, alleges he is the victim of a Republican witch hunt. A conviction could end his highly successful legal career.
Fieger has admitted he made the reimbursements. The issue in the case is whether he and Johnson knowingly broke the law.
During 18 days of testimony before Borman, a key piece of government evidence was a radio interview Fieger gave, soon after he learned of the federal investigation, in which he denied reimbursing employees for political donations.
Fieger took the stand in his own defense, saying he carefully researched the law and concluded it was legal to authorize the reimbursements in the form of employee bonuses.
You can reach Paul Egan at (313) 222-2069 or pegan@detnews.com.
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