Kathy E <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: A Pinellas County, Fla., jury has acquitted a man who was charged with plotting to murder the Rev. Henry Lyons, the embattled president of the National Baptist Convention USA. Fifty-two-year-old Dale Hutchins had been accused of offering an acquaintance $1,100 to kill the controversial Lyons, who last week was charged with racketeering and grand theft for his alleged mishandling of convention funds. Prosecutors said that on August 12, Hutchins walked into a St. Petersburg doughnut shop where both he and Arthur Siemers were regular customers, slapped a wad of cash down on a counter in front of Siemers and told him he could earn the money by killing Lyons. Siemers, a 59-year-old piano teacher, told police of the incident, and Hutchins was charged with solicitation to commit murder. But Hutchins told investigators he had merely been kidding with Siemers, who was the frequent butt of his jokes. Hutchins told St. Petersburg police detectives, ``Everybody had a little chuckle about it and it was over. He said his only intent was ''to upset Arthur.`` Jurors apparently believed Hutchins did not intend to arrange Lyons' death. After the verdict was announced, juror Joseph Alexander told reporters, ``I think it was a bad, stupid joke.'' Assistant Public Defender David Parry had told the jury that the prosecution pursued the case against Hutchins so as to appear even- handed in its dealings with Lyons -- a suggestion one prosecutor called ``spurious.'' When Circuit Judge Douglas Baird told him he was free to leave, Hutchins, who had faced up to nine years in prison if convicted, turned to prosecutors and said, ``No hard feelings.'' -- Kathy E "I can only please one person a day, today is NOT your day, and tomorrow isn't looking too good for you either" http://members.delphi.com/kathylaw/ Law & Issues Mailing List http://pw1.netcom.com/~kathye/rodeo.html - Cowboy Histories http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/2990/law.htm Crime photo's Subscribe/Unsubscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of the message enter: subscribe/unsubscribe law-issues
