PA - Dr. Cyril Wecht for public corruption, Pittsburgh, 2006

[Taximom]

There are a lot of charges to go through. I wouldn't want to be that jury!

 

[joe jones]

Me neither, and much of it seems to be quite petty,

 

[joe jones]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/breaking/s_558276.html

jury will return after holidays to continue deliberating

 

[joe jones]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23794839/

jury still plowing through all the charges

 

[joe jones]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/specialreports/wecht/trial/s_558999.html

Cyril must be hanging on his last nerve as the jury is still out

 

[monkalup]

I am still hoping for the best!

 

[pittsburghgirl]

Local news has it that the jury appears to be getting along and has not asked the judge for clarifications, etc. It would be a shame to see Cyril's public career end this way, and ridiculous for him to be in prison over things like a staffer driving him to the airport. He was a splendid coroner here.

The US attorney who brought the charges was also after the former mayor of Pittsburgh (a Democrat) and declined to investigate campaigning irregularities of a Republican congressman and former Senator Rick Santorum, who defrauded a local (PA) school district by registering his kids there to get the district to pay for cyber-schooling his children in Virginia. So there is a taint of politics here, no matter the outcome.

 

[joe jones]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23829491/

still deliberating, jury seem to be happy with there work

 

[Taximom]

Their work or maybe their meals! lol

 

[joe jones]

http://www.wpxi.com/news/15761753/detail.html

juror sick, deliberations on hold until judge decides what to do

 

[joe jones]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23899285/

interesting info about deliberations, before juror fell sick

 

[pittsburghgirl]

The latest news on the trial is that the defense is appealing the decision to go forward with 11 jurors. And it wasn't just that the juror is ill--but that the illness is caused by the stress of the trial.

kdka.com/local/Wecht.defense.motion.2.690644

I have a hard time believing that a Pittsburgh jury will convict Cyril, but who knows, at this point.

 

[Taximom]

WOW! If it's that stressful that means they aren't agreeing. Interesting....

Thank you for the updates and links!

 

[pittsburghgirl]

WOW! If it's that stressful that means they aren't agreeing. Interesting....

Thank you for the updates and links!

Weirdly enough, there are some who think the laughter and other signs point to acquittal. I'm glad others are interested in the case. Cyril is a major Pittsburgh "institution," both loved and hated. So who knows?

 

[joe jones]

I have never understood why some courts dismiss the alternates before the verdict is in, why not just keep them at the courthouse, give them a few DVDs and some coffee and let them stay until or unless needed,

it would save so many problems and so much money,

if they have to do over this trial again it will be a travesty if it was caused by not keeping the alternates,

 

[pittsburghgirl]

I have never understood why some courts dismiss the alternates before the verdict is in, why not just keep them at the courthouse, give them a few DVDs and some coffee and let them stay until or unless needed,

it would save so many problems and so much money,

if they have to do over this trial again it will be a travesty if it was caused by not keeping the alternates,

What's worth is that some of the counts involve things like making $3.00 (approx) worth of copies on the copier. While the cost of corruption is more than monetary, there was absolutely no sense of proportion here.

 

[pittsburghgirl]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08094/870254-100.stm

Holy Moly! The jury is deadlocked and say they can't arrive at an agreement. The internet headlines say "hung jury," but the stories themselves indicate that is premature. Jurors are supposed to return Monday for one last try. They were still deliberating with 11 jurors.

 

[joe jones]

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/04/wecht.trial.ap/index.html

I don't think they will be able to agree, too many charges, too many jury instructions, it is a bit of a mess, I can't see how any more time is going to make them come to a different verdict, they have surely all decided on there position by now,

but the judge has to at least ask them to see if they can reach a consensus, after all this time and all this money it will be a big black eye for the prosecution and the whole investigation if they can't even get one G verdict,

 

[joe jones]

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/15796081/detail.html

defence want a mistrial declared with no new deliberations,

 

[songline]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/01/30/wecht.trial.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
He is charged in a 41-count indictment with using his Allegheny County staff as bookkeepers, secretaries, couriers and gofers for his private practice and his family. Wecht, who earned no more than $64,000 a year as county coroner, resigned when he was indicted in January 2006.
(much more at link)

WOW and that is the guy that Howard K Stern hired.
does anyone think that Daniels autopsy report should not be challenged?
I think it should.