Thursday, January 28, 2010
Jury Deliberation Begins In Lawson/Nighbert Trial
KENTUCKY....
Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the bid-rigging trial of road contractor Leonard Lawson and former state Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert presented their closing statements in U.S. District Court in Lexington Thursday before the jury began deliberations at 2:00 P.M. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Taylor urged jurors, "Don't let Leonard Lawson beat it," "Don't be Leonard Lawson's jury. Be the people's jury." Taylor says former cabinet engineer Jim Rummage had no logical reason to lie about Nighbert telling him to bring estimates to Lawson or Lawson giving him $20,000 in bribes. Defense attorneys countered that Rummage is an admitted liar who originally denied any role in leaking bid estimates and who might hope to get rich with a whistle-blower lawsuit. Lawson attorney Larry Mackey alleged "The prosecution in this case beat itself when it lashed its wagon to Jim Rummage, of all people."
Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the bid-rigging trial of road contractor Leonard Lawson and former state Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert presented their closing statements in U.S. District Court in Lexington Thursday before the jury began deliberations at 2:00 P.M. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Taylor urged jurors, "Don't let Leonard Lawson beat it," "Don't be Leonard Lawson's jury. Be the people's jury." Taylor says former cabinet engineer Jim Rummage had no logical reason to lie about Nighbert telling him to bring estimates to Lawson or Lawson giving him $20,000 in bribes. Defense attorneys countered that Rummage is an admitted liar who originally denied any role in leaking bid estimates and who might hope to get rich with a whistle-blower lawsuit. Lawson attorney Larry Mackey alleged "The prosecution in this case beat itself when it lashed its wagon to Jim Rummage, of all people."
# posted by Homer Owens @ 5:07 PM 
