MONTGOMERY — The bingo corruption trial in U.S. District Court has ended, sort of.
The jury returned not guilty verdicts in some of the dozens of counts, but reported they were hopelessly deadlocked on all others. Judge Myron Thompson declared a mistrial on the undecided counts, and will hold a hearing to set a new date in about amonth.
Of the nine defendants, two were completely cleared. State Senator Quinton Ross and casino lobbyist Bob Geddie were found not guilty on all charges against them, and subsequently freed by Thompson. Jay Walker, a spokesman for the Country Crossing casino development, was cleared on all but two counts, with the jury hanging on the remainder.
Milton McGregor, the dog track owner who was they key defendant in the trial, was found not guily on three counts with the rest undecided. One count was on bribery, and the other two for honest services fraud.
Former State Sen. Jim Pruett was found not guilty on one count of bribery and 11 other honest-services counts.
State Sen. Harri Anne Smith was found not guilty of 11 counts, with the jury hung on the remaining eight counts.
The jury was undecided on the single bribery charge against Ray Crosby, a former analyst for the Legislative Reference Service.
Tom Coker, a lobbyist for McGregor, was found not guilty on all but two charges against him, with the jury hung on one bribery and one conspiracy count.
The trial, which lasted for nearly two months, focused on whether politicians had accepted bribes from McGregor and other casino supporters for their votes on a bill to legalize electronic bingo machines. State Sen. Scott Beason (R-Gardendale) was a key witness for the prosecution. Beason wore a wire to secretly record conversations with fellow politicians about the issue.
Prosecutors also depended heavily on testimony from Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley; his lobbyist, Jarrod Massey; and Gilley assistant Jennifer Pouncy. All had pleaded guilty to lesser charges in return for turning state's evidence.
Okla. City Mayor: Up to 13K Homes Hit by Tornado
Raw: Aftermath of Deadly Attack in London
Paperless Scanner, Vision of the Future
Florida FBI Shooting Has Boston Bombing Links
Garcetti Elected Los Angeles Mayor Over Greuel
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
IRS Official Pleads 5th Amendment
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
Former Rep. Weiner Running for New York Mayor
Jodi Arias: Death Penalty Would Cause More Pain
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Families Begin Returning to Their Homes in Moore
Raw: Aerial View of Moore Tornado Damage
Looking for Love? Take the Prague Metro
First Person: Baby Falcons on a New York Bridge
Crews Race to Find Survivors of Okla. Twister
Oklahoma: Images of Devastation, Reunion
Raw: Students Clash With Police in Chile
Protests Outside Cincinnati IRS Office
New Xbox One Entertainment Console Unveiled
