The Nation - News from July 10, 1986
A federal judge in Tampa, Fla., declared a mistrial in the racketeering case of reputed Florida crime boss Santo Trafficante Jr., ruling that the prosecution had introduced prejudicial hearsay evidence. U.S. District Judge William Castagna’s ruling abruptly ended the trial in its third week. Castagna said photos and audio tapes presented by the government as the basis for admitting hearsay testimony fell short of showing that Trafficante, 71, agreed to participate in a conspiracy.
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