Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Hale Case May Be Delayed Until July > LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- The state trial of Whitewater > figure David Hale could be delayed until July because a > key prosecution witness cannot return from Africa to > Arkansas until then, a prosecutor said Tuesday. > > A Pulaski County circuit judge, meanwhile, pushed back > a hearing from Wednesday until Monday on when to resume > Hale's trial on a charge that he lied to state > insurance regulators. > > The trial was delayed last Thursday when Hale went to a > hospital complaining of heart troubles, about an hour > before opening statements were to begin. > > Jurors, chosen a week ago, are to return to court this > Thursday to be told of the latest delay. Prosecutor > Larry Jegley said he might ask that jurors be dismissed > and a new group selected. > > ``We'd probably be better for the entire process to go > ahead and pull a new jury,'' Jegley said. > > Judge David Bogard cautioned jurors last week not to > talk about Hale's trial, nor read or listen to news > accounts about it. > > Hale wants the present jury to hear his trial, whenever > it may occur, Hale lawyer David Bowden said. Bowden > said attorneys were discussing resuming the trial July > 8 or July 9. > > Besides deciding when to resume Hale's trial, the > hearing also is to address Jegley's request for an > independent medical evaluation of Hale and several > other issues. > > Jegley said the trial may be delayed until July because > witness Michael Rutherford, who lives in Tanzania, left > Friday to return to Africa after Hale's trial was > delayed the day before. Rutherford deals in commodities > and securities and is tied up with business, Jegley > said. > > Bowden had rejected an earlier request by prosecutors > to videotape Rutherford's testimony in Hale's hospital > room, saying the stress could harm Hale's health. > > Hale was a key witness in the 1996 trial of then-Gov. > Jim Guy Tucker and President and Hillary Rodham > Clinton's business partners, James and Susan McDougal. > Hale served 21 months of a 28-month sentence for fraud > before being released in March. > > He remains on three years' probation. -- Two rules in life: 1. Don't tell people everything you know. 2. Subscribe/Unsubscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of the message enter: subscribe/unsubscribe law-issues
