Mistrial Near in George Perjury Case, Judge Says
The judge in the Iran-Contra perjury case against former CIA official Clair E. George denied a defense motion for a mistrial Tuesday but said that if jurors fail again today to reach a decision, “that’ll be the end of the matter.”
U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth made the suggestion that he might declare a mistrial after the foreman of the panel, which apparently is badly divided, told him after five days of deliberations that “no additional amount of time will persuade remaining jurors to a unanimous verdict.”
Lamberth shared the pessimistic jury note--the third in two days--with prosecutors and defense attorneys after receiving it late in the afternoon, and Richard A. Hibey, George’s chief defense attorney, promptly made the unsuccessful motion for a mistrial.
The jury of eight women and four men first reported Monday that they were having trouble agreeing on any of the nine charges against George.
George, once the CIA’s No. 3 official, was tried over a five-week period on charges of perjury, obstruction and making false statements to congressional and grand jury panels investigating the Iran-Contra scandal between 1986 and 1991.
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