Print

Perez Jury To Continue Deliberations Today

Josh Kovner and Jenna Carlesso

June 17, 2010

The jury in Mayor Eddie A. Perez's corruption trial ended its day Thursday without returning a verdict.

Jurors wrote a note to Superior Court Judge Julia D. Dewey in the afternoon requesting to break for the day. They were dismissed shortly after 4 p.m.

"You certainly can stop your deliberation now if you feel you're at a good point," Dewey told them.

Deliberations are expected to resume at 9:30 a.m. today. Jurors will deliberate for only half the day because of an event that one of the jurors must attend.

The six-member jury, which began deliberating late Wednesday afternoon, also paused in its discussions Thursday morning to ask the judge if presenting a document that is false is the same as fabricating physical evidence — one of the felony charges against the mayor.

Dewey said that presenting and fabricating are not the same.

Perez is charged with receiving a bribe, fabricating evidence, accessory to the fabrication of evidence, conspiracy to fabricate evidence, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny by extortion and criminal attempt to commit first-degree larceny by extortion. The trial began May 12.

If the mayor is convicted on all charges, the maximum sentence he could receive is 60 years. On the individual charges, the maximum sentences are up to 10 years for receiving a bribe; up to 5 years for fabricating evidence; up to 5 years for accessory to fabrication (if Perez is convicted of both fabrication charges, the sentence would be combined to 5 years for both); up to 5 years for conspiracy to fabricate evidence; up to 20 years for conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny; and up to 20 years for criminal attempt to commit larceny.