Federal jury convicts Ironworkers Local 401 boss in racketeering trial
Source: Philly.com
Joseph Dougherty, for 16 years the undisputed boss of the region's union ironworkers and unapologetic enemy of nonunion labor, was found guilty Tuesday of using arson, intimidation and violence against nonunion contractors.
The jurors spent five (sic) deliberating after a brief defense case, closing arguments from lawyers and legal instruction by U.S. District Judge Michael M. Baylson.
Baylson set sentencing for April 29. Prosecutors say Dougherty faces a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison if convicted on the charges.
Dougherty, who elected not to testify in his defense, was charged with racketeering conspiracy; two arson-related counts for damage to a nonunion site at 4900 Grays Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia on July 18, 2013; two arson related counts for the Oct. 12, 2013 attempted attack on a nonunion site in Malvern; and a count of extortion for allegedly coercing a nonunion steel company to hire union ironworkers to erect a small apartment building at 31st and Spring Garden Streets in West Philadelphia.
Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150121_Jury_deliberations_resume_in_trial_of_union_boss.html
Turned on the radio not long after I got home and heard they had announced the verdict. One of the sites that seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back here was a Friend's Meeting House that was under construction by non-union workers not far from where I live, and it (or actually the initial "framework" of it as they had just started on it) was heavily damaged), suspected done by the same group (some who pleaded guilty earlier) who damaged other sites.
This has been an ugly case here in the city and the jurors deliberated about a week before coming to this decision this afternoon.
