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From : BakersBoyz
Added: Nov 3, 2009
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jO5ggoCXgCPZFV6CVvUz67K2PnrgD9BE9ISG2 WASHINGTON — A federal judge Monday set June 21 for the retrial of a former lobbyist who worked for influence peddler Jack Abramoff. U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle set the date after Thursday's mistrial for Kevin Ring. The jury had deadlocked over eight counts. The government alleged that Ring lavished thousands of dollars worth of tickets and meals on employees of then-Republican Reps. John Doolittle of California and Ernest Istook of Oklahoma, and on Justice Department officials in return for congressional appropriations and other assistance for Abramoff's clients. The mistrial was the biggest setback in the government's prosecution of cases related to Abramoff. The jury of seven women and five men at one point said they reached a verdict on one count, involving Ring's part in arranging a job that paid $96,000 to Doolittle's wife. Jurors did not disclose their decision, and the agreement came undone. Justice Department attorneys had wanted a January or February retrial date. The judge, however, took into account the scheduled Dec. 8 Supreme Court arguments on the constitutionality of the federal "honest services" fraud statute, used to charge Ring. Ring, a former Doolittle aide, was charged with conspiracy, paying gratuities and scheming to defraud taxpayers of the honest services of public officials. The 28-word law is called vague and unfair by critics.
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