Philly mob jury likely to work during Super Bowl weekend
So it has come to this.
Does the jury in the trial of mob boss Joseph “Uncle Joe” Ligambi and six co-defendants want to deliberate on Super Bowl weekend, or will the panel, which finished its 16rh day of deliberations this afternoon, come back with a verdict tomorrow?
The anonymously chosen jury of eight men and four women
went at it for six more hours today without asking a question or requesting
additional evidence. The panel has been holed up in the deliberation room off
the 15th floor courtroom since Jan. 8.
Judge Eduardo Robreno told the jurors this afternoon that
they will deliberate from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday if the
process is still ongoing after tomorrow’s session. The trial,, which began on
Oct. 18 and extended over 10 weeks, included approximately 33 days of
testimony. Tomorrow the jury will have spent more than half that amount of time
in deliberations, a virtually unheard ratio, according to veteran criminal
defense attorneys.
“This is unbelievable,” said one.
The lengthy deliberations have already put a trip to Italy by lead
defense attorney Edwin Jacobs in
jeopardy. Jacobs is supposed to leave Thursday for the two-week trip, but Robreno has thus
far denied the lawyer’s request that an associate fill in for him if deliberations
continue deep into next week.
When this trial began on Oct. 18 no one expected that it would
still be going at by the end of January.
Now it’s heading into February.
Ligambi, 73, and his co-defendants face a racketeering
conspiracy charge in addition to assorted charges of gambling, loansharking and
extortion. Ligambi is also charged with fraud and obstruction of justice.
Two questions hung over deliberations today. Will the jury
finish tomorrow and who do you like in the Super Bowl? Most observers believe the odds are better at
picking the Super Bowl than on when the jury will finish.
http://www.bigtrial.net/2013/01/whats-bet-on-mob-trial-deliberations.html#d4kQYe5iDQYqoR75.99
0 comments:
Post a Comment