Mistrial Declared in Tyco Corruption Case

I'm not sure this belongs here, but the Tyco case is a scandal in my book. I haven't followed this trial closely. From this article, it seems a jury member had formed her opinion too early and caused the mistrial.
So, now the taxpayers will try these two clowns again!

"The Associated Press


NEW YORK April 2 � A judge declared a mistrial in the grand-larceny case against two former Tyco executives Friday after nearly six months of testimony and 11 days of deliberations, citing intense outside pressure placed on one of the jurors.

A source, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said that Juror No. 4 a woman who had nearly brought the case to a mistrial last week had received a threatening or coercive letter within the preceding 24 hours.

The ruling came on the 12th day of deliberations in the case against former chief executive L. Dennis Kozlowski and former chief financial officer Mark Swartz, who were accused of looting the conglomerate of $600 million."

and further in the article


"Juror No. 4 became the subject of intense media scrutiny last week after some news organizations reported she made an "OK" gesture toward the defense as she passed by the lawyers. The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post used the juror's name, the Post also ran a front-page sketch of her giving the "OK" sign and called her "Ms. Trial" and "the batty blueblood."

Defense lawyers repeatedly asked for a mistrial, saying the juror an apparent holdout for acquittal was being pressured by the media and possibly by other jurors to change her vote.

A week ago, the jurors had sent out notes that said they were at each other's throats and that one juror was refusing to deliberate with an open mind."

[Edited on 2-4-2004 by DontTreadOnMe]

That's the american justice system for ya. I don't know how you can loot $600 million and receive a mistrial. I swear, the things people do for money. Karma better come at them with full force. All that time and money trying to convict two people, and all it takes is one person to mess everything up.

Former Tyco Chiefs Found Guilty
Reuters

NEW YORK -- Former Tyco International Ltd. Chief Executive Dennis Kozlowski and finance chief Mark Swartz were found guilty Friday of stealing more than $150 million in secretly forgiven loans and unauthorized bonuses from the company.

The jury of six women and six men returned their verdict on the 11th day of deliberations.

Both men faced 25 years in prison on the most serious charge of grand larceny.

Prosecutors said Kozlowski and Swartz defrauded the company by taking secret loans and unwarranted bonuses between 1999 and 2001.

The two also were accused of defrauding shareholders by selling $575 million in Tyco stock while misrepresenting the company's financial condition.

www.latimes.com...

Let's hope these two get the 25 year max, and other corporate crime bosses like Bernie Ebbers, Ken Lay & Jeffrey Skilling rot forever behind bars without access to the millions they stashed away.