A Bahamian judge has declared a mistrial in the case of two people accused of trying to extort $25 million from John Travolta, citing suspected jury misconduct.
The surprising development took place after a local politician said in a speech played on radio and TV that former Sen. Pleasant Bridgewater was acquitted.
Bridgewater is one of two defendants in the case. There was no acquittal.
Parliament member Picewill Forbes told an audience that Bridgewater was "a free woman." Forbes later admitted misspeaking and no verdict has been issued.
Closing arguments concluded yesterday and the case went to the jury shortly afterward. But the judge threw out the case, suspicious of alleged misconduct.
The case will now be re-tried.
John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston in the Bahamas.
"The dilemma that we face is great," Senior Justice Anita Allen told the shocked court. "I am erring on the side of caution. Justice must be transparent."
Bridgewater and ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne pleaded not guilty allegedly trying to get Travolta and Kelly Preston to pay for their silence regarding so-called damning details related to their son Jett's death in January.
Travolta's attorney, Michael Ossi, said that his client will fully cooperate with future legal proceedings and testify in the Bahamas again if need be.
The first trial was marked by John's emotional testimony and by several amazing revelations about all the alleged wheeling and dealing going on.
The extortionists were supposedly caught on tape, too. They're going down, it's just a matter of whether it happens sooner rather than later.
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1 Comment
October 23rd, 2009 9:05 PM
What people would do for some money, terrible. The guy loses his son and people threaten to say it was him - do these people even have souls?