Jurors in the corruption trial of political consultant Sam Riddle unleashed a torrent of emotions today, saying racial issues overtook deliberations, bringing a federal judge to declare a mistrial on the sixth day of deliberations.
Jurors said all but one of the 12 was ready to convict Riddle on some or all counts. They said the lone African-American juror had her mind made up on acquitting him. Some said she refused to deliberate, though others said that at one point she was ready to convict Riddle on one of seven counts. . . .Riddle, 63, has pleaded not guilty to a seven-count indictment accusing him of conspiracy, extortion and lying to the FBI. Prosecutors allege Riddle teamed up with his one-time boss, former Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers, to shake down businesses with matters before the Detroit City Council or the General Retirement System.
On the courthouse steps today, one juror wept openly as she described her frustrations with the deliberations.
"It was a long case, and we worked really hard, and because of one person ... we couldn't come to a unanimous decision," juror Sue Persichini said. "The person had pretty much made up her mind from the start."
The only other non-white juror, Jay Gandhi, said she feared at one point the holdout juror was going to strike her with a binder.
I wonder if Eric Holder, of nation of cowards about race fame, will candidly discuss the impact of a black juror not voting to convict a black man acting as a conduit to corruption that among many other corrupt city leaders has reduced a majority black city to shambles.
I guarantee that had the racial composition been reversed we would have heard something from him by now.
On to the next round, and for Detroit's sake a better jury next time.
1 comment:
Don't expect a comment from the Affirmative Action Attorney General anytime soon.
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