Posted on 03/20/2009 5:48:24 PM PDT by cll
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A jury found Puerto Rico's former governor not guilty Friday on all nine counts of conspiracy, money laundering and lying to the FBI, concluding his monthlong corruption trial.
Anibal Acevedo Vila, who could have faced 20 years in prison if convicted, was the first governor to be charged with a crime since the island became a semiautonomous U.S. commonwealth in 1952.
His former adviser Luisa Inclan was also cleared of similar charges.
Authorities last year accused Acevedo and 12 associates of participating in an illegal scheme to pay off more than $500,000 in campaign debts.
One by one the associates began to plead guilty, leaving only Acevedo and Inclan to stand trial. One co-defendant agreed to testify against Acevedo in exchange for having charges against her dropped.
Prosecutors presented some 30 witnesses, while defense attorneys surprised the courtroom earlier this week when they rested their case without calling a single person to testify. Acevedo's lawyers urged the judge to dismiss the case for lack of evidence.
Judge Paul Barbadoro, who came from New Hampshire to hear the case and avoid a potential conflict for local judges, instructed the jury for two hours on Friday.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
What a joke.
Indeed.
OJ trial.
“Prosecutors presented some 30 witnesses,”
“Acevedo’s lawyers urged the judge to dismiss the case for lack of evidence.”
Ok.....
¡Coño!
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