Dauphin County Judge Richard Lewis this afternoon rejected a request for a mistrial declaration by the attorneys for 2 of the defendants in the public corruption case against the former Pennsylvania House Democratic Whip and 3 former aides.
Mike Palermo, the attorney for Annamarie Perretta-Rosepink asked for the mistrial this morning saying the jury foreman gave the judge a note on Friday that indicatedg the jury had "barriers and biases that cannot be hurdled." On Friday, Judge Lewis replaced a juror due to illness with an alternate. Judge Lewis then asked each of the original 11 jurors if they could start again with their deliberations and they said they could.
Palermo said the judge should have declared a mistrial Friday instead of replacing the ill juror.
Former State Representative Mike Veon of Beaver Falls and 3 former aides Brett Cott, Stephen Keefer and Perretta-Rosepink are accused of siphoning tax dollars and using them for bonuses for staffers who did campaign work on state time.
Monday, March 22, 2010
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