Guilty, Guilty, Guilty: Jury Convicts Minor, Teel, Whitfield

Mar 31, 12:36 PM

Current Headlines: By Anita Lee, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.

Mar. 31--JACKSON -- Attorney Paul Minor, former Circuit Judge John Whitfield and Chancery Judge Wes Teel were found guilty Friday of all charges in a judicial bribery conspiracy.

The jury delivered the verdicts at 11:15 p.m. in U.S. District Court.

Minor was convicted of 11 charges of conspiracy, racketeering and fraud, while the jury found Whitfield guilty on six counts of conspiracy and fraud. Teel was convicted on four counts of conspiracy and fraud.

The jury found that Minor bribed both judges in exchange for favorable rulings. All charges in the case stem from that bribery. Sentencing is set for June 14.

Minor remains in jail for violating the terms of his bond. As of late Friday night, prosecutors were asking U.S. District Court Judge Henry T. Wingate to revoke the bond of Whitfield and Teel and put them in jail.

In late 1998 Minor secured $140,000 in loans for Whitfield and a $25,000 loan for Teel. Minor wound up paying back both loans though intermediaries.

Whitfield delivered a $3.6 million verdict for one of Minor's clients while Teel issued a ruling that led to a $1.5 million settlement for another Minor client.

While tension was thick in the courtroom as the jury filed in, none of the defendants reacted with strong emotion as the verdict was read. Minor's attorney Dennis Sweet did bow his head on the table and appeared upset.

Jurors asked the judge late Friday for transcripts from two witnesses, which prompted objections and concerned expressions from defendants and their attorneys, while prosecutors agreed with the judge's decision to give jurors the written testimony.

Wingate gave jurors the testimony of prosecution witnesses meant to link federal funding to the courts. Federal funding is a necessary element for convictions on the final four charges in a 14-count indictment against attorney Paul Minor and former state court Judges John Whitfield and Wes Teel.

Bribery is the underlying crime in all 14 charges of conspiracy, racketeering and fraud. The last four charges are for "honest services" fraud, meaning any bribery would have to deprive the public of the judges' honest services. To be a federal crime, the services must have been provided by a judge who is an "agent" of a court receiving more than $10,000 in federal funds during a one-year period.

The verdict form the jurors must fill out asked them to mark the source of those federal funds: The Administrative Office of the Courts is on one line and the Harrison County Board of Supervisors general fund is on the next.

Jurors reviewed the testimony of Carolyn Briscoe of the Administrative Office of the Courts and Doug Armstrong, Harrison County accountant.

Eight women and four men began their deliberations around 10 a.m. Friday.

Their dinner was ordered Friday night and they continued deliberations late into the evening.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.

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