DroppinScience
10-27-2008, 04:18 PM
The Alaska Senator (who is also facing a tight re-election race) was found guilty of seven counts of concealing $250,000 in home renovations from oil contractors.
Something tells me this isn't welcome news for his campaign...
And it should really go to show just how morally corrupt the Republican Party is.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/27/stevens.jurors/index.html
Jury finds Stevens guilty on corruption charges
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A jury found U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska guilty Monday of all seven counts in his federal corruption trial.
The jury found Stevens guilty of "knowingly and willfully" scheming to conceal on Senate disclosure forms more than $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts from an Alaska-based oil industry contractor.
Stevens faces a maximum sentence of up to to 35 years in prison -- five years for each of the seven counts.
Legal experts note the judge has the discretion to give Stevens as little as no jail time and probation when he is sentenced.
As Stevens left the defense area, he and his wife exchanged a kiss on the cheek. Stevens said: "It's not over yet." Stevens' defense team said they will move for a new trial.
Stevens left the courthouse without comment.
The 84-year-old senator is locked in a tight race for re-election against his Democratic challenger, Mark Begich. Stevens hopes to retain the seat he has held since 1968.
The longest-serving Republican senator in history, Stevens becomes the first senator to be convicted of a felony since 1981.
Judge Emmet Sullivan has scheduled a hearing on any pending motions for February 25.
The charges against Stevens related to renovations on his family home in Girdwood, Alaska. The remodeling was done by his longtime friend, Bill Allen, and Allen's oil industry services company, VECO Corp.
The jury began deliberations at noon Wednesday, but started anew Monday morning when an alternate replaced a juror who left town abruptly last week because of the death of her father.
The verdict comes after jurors spotted a discrepancy Monday between the government's indictment and a key piece of evidence. The judge declined to throw out the related charge against Stevens
The indictment accuses Stevens of checking "No" in response to a question about whether Stevens or his family had "any reportable gift ... more than $260" in 2001. But the form introduced as evidence in court shows he checked "Yes."
The jury sent out a note on the issue, prompting a debate between defense and prosecution attorneys about what instructions Sullivan should send the jury.
Prosecutors said the error was simply a "typo" on the indictment, and that other charges and evidence covered Steven's alleged failure to disclose the home renovations at issue in the case.
Stevens' defense said the judge should toss out the count that no longer matched the evidence.
The juror who left last week was Juror No. 4, a paralegal in her 40s. She told a U.S. marshal that she had to leave the state for a family emergency after the jury was dismissed Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan dismissed the jury Friday morning after the woman left for California, hoping to resume with her on the panel as soon as possible.
Since then, court officials made several unsuccessful attempts to reach the woman. Defense attorneys for Stevens, who was in court Sunday, had asked the judge to put off deliberations another day as they awaited the return of the juror, arguing against inserting an alternate in the middle of the process.
Last week, the judge dealt with another juror issue after the panel sent him a note Thursday accusing juror No. 9 of "violent outbursts" and other misconduct. They asked that she be dismissed, but Sullivan gave what he called a "pep talk" to the 12 and told them to resume their deliberations.
Something tells me this isn't welcome news for his campaign...
And it should really go to show just how morally corrupt the Republican Party is.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/27/stevens.jurors/index.html
Jury finds Stevens guilty on corruption charges
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A jury found U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska guilty Monday of all seven counts in his federal corruption trial.
The jury found Stevens guilty of "knowingly and willfully" scheming to conceal on Senate disclosure forms more than $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts from an Alaska-based oil industry contractor.
Stevens faces a maximum sentence of up to to 35 years in prison -- five years for each of the seven counts.
Legal experts note the judge has the discretion to give Stevens as little as no jail time and probation when he is sentenced.
As Stevens left the defense area, he and his wife exchanged a kiss on the cheek. Stevens said: "It's not over yet." Stevens' defense team said they will move for a new trial.
Stevens left the courthouse without comment.
The 84-year-old senator is locked in a tight race for re-election against his Democratic challenger, Mark Begich. Stevens hopes to retain the seat he has held since 1968.
The longest-serving Republican senator in history, Stevens becomes the first senator to be convicted of a felony since 1981.
Judge Emmet Sullivan has scheduled a hearing on any pending motions for February 25.
The charges against Stevens related to renovations on his family home in Girdwood, Alaska. The remodeling was done by his longtime friend, Bill Allen, and Allen's oil industry services company, VECO Corp.
The jury began deliberations at noon Wednesday, but started anew Monday morning when an alternate replaced a juror who left town abruptly last week because of the death of her father.
The verdict comes after jurors spotted a discrepancy Monday between the government's indictment and a key piece of evidence. The judge declined to throw out the related charge against Stevens
The indictment accuses Stevens of checking "No" in response to a question about whether Stevens or his family had "any reportable gift ... more than $260" in 2001. But the form introduced as evidence in court shows he checked "Yes."
The jury sent out a note on the issue, prompting a debate between defense and prosecution attorneys about what instructions Sullivan should send the jury.
Prosecutors said the error was simply a "typo" on the indictment, and that other charges and evidence covered Steven's alleged failure to disclose the home renovations at issue in the case.
Stevens' defense said the judge should toss out the count that no longer matched the evidence.
The juror who left last week was Juror No. 4, a paralegal in her 40s. She told a U.S. marshal that she had to leave the state for a family emergency after the jury was dismissed Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan dismissed the jury Friday morning after the woman left for California, hoping to resume with her on the panel as soon as possible.
Since then, court officials made several unsuccessful attempts to reach the woman. Defense attorneys for Stevens, who was in court Sunday, had asked the judge to put off deliberations another day as they awaited the return of the juror, arguing against inserting an alternate in the middle of the process.
Last week, the judge dealt with another juror issue after the panel sent him a note Thursday accusing juror No. 9 of "violent outbursts" and other misconduct. They asked that she be dismissed, but Sullivan gave what he called a "pep talk" to the 12 and told them to resume their deliberations.