Mistrial declared in (Coroner Cyril) Wecht case; new trial set for May 27

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The jury in the public corruption trial of former Allegheny County Coroner Cyril Wecht has failed to reach a verdict on any of the federal charges against him, and a judge today declared a mistrial.

Dr. Cyril WechtU.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab made the announcement at 9:25 a.m. today after the jury told him it remained hopelessly deadlocked following 10 days of deliberations.

The government immediately announced it would try the case again and Judge Schwab set May 27 for the start of a new trial.

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"We've said all along that these charges should never have been brought," said Dick Thornburgh, himself a former federal prosecutor. "And clearly after the expenditure of untold millions of dollars and the devotion of time and resources of the Department of Justice to this case -- a nickel-dime prosecution, when there is rampant crime, terrorism, other kinds of threats that affect the American people -- to spend all this time on this case, and to announce immediately that they want to retry it after they have utterly failed -- utterly failed -- in their efforts to convict Dr. Wecht, is a miscarriage of justice."

Defense attorney Jerry McDevitt reiterated his belief that the prosecution was politically motivated. Dr. Wecht is a Democrat and U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan is a Republican.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08099/871436-100.stm

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This one was for the most part another Bush toadie U.S. Attorney (Mary Beth Buchanan) going after a prominient Dem. Some of it was pettyanny stuff like using the county's fax machine, doing Wecht's personal errands, getting hot dogs using the coroner's van, etc.

Wecht didn't even call any defense witnesses and still they couldn't get a conviction on any one of the 41 kitchen sink charges. Still Mary Beth wants to waste more taxpayer money doing this all over again and screwing with more jurors lives for near 3 months. I felt for these jurors - they were from Erie county and spent 10 weeks on this case. I imagine this cost some of them financially not to say the utter waste of their time.

[livetohike]

1. Just talked about this with my Mom

It was a "nickel and dime prosecution". It's ridiculous.

[Sam Ervin jret]

2. These lawless prosecutors need to be sued for harassment or illegal prosecution.

Someone needs to start pulling these BushCo prosecutors back in by the scruff of their necks and re-teach them the law or fire them.

Where are all the State's Bar Associations while the law is being misused in this fashion?

[bjobotts]

3. I hope a new democratic president will rid the country of these AGs and cases like this will be drop

[bjobotts]

4. What's the point? These "crimes" aren't worth pursuing or wasting millions.

[Bravo Zulu]

5. We all could be prosecuted

Usually when you work some where you inadvertently use something that belongs to your employer for yourself or do something on company time for yourself, the courts will be clogged up and the murderers,rapists and drug dealers will be roaming the streets at will!

[ladywnch]

6. I wonder what it is that they tried to get Wecht to do for them that he

said no to. He hasn't been in a political office for years so why would they want to go after him with such vigor? he is obviously in there way for something

[RamboLiberal]

7. Mary Beth probably just wanted another famous head

to hang on her wall. She made all of us so safe by jailing Tommy Chong for selling bongs.

[FREEWILL56]

8. This is nothing more than the continueing of the witch hunts the pukes

started when they kept going after Bill. All through his 2 terms they kept at it until Bill slipped into lying to congress in order to cover up infidelities. The infidelities were not a crime against the office, but they kept throwing until something stuck because they want to seize power at all costs everywhere in the country. Their antics have only gotten worse since those scumballs stole the presidency in 2000 and I'm appalled our democratic leaders are letting them do this shit time and time again even when the pukes commit crimes to achieve these ends.