Judge Dismisses Juror in Arizona Governor’s Fraud Trial
A judge dismissed a juror Tuesday in the criminal fraud trial of Gov. Fife Symington and set a hearing today to decide whether deliberations should continue without a 12th juror.
U.S. District Judge Roger Strand released the 74-year-old woman after a private meeting with attorneys that lasted nearly two hours, saying he was dismissing her for “good and legal cause.”
The attorneys said they were barred from explaining why she was dismissed. They said only that jurors passed a note to the judge.
Under federal court rules, a judge may have a jury continue deliberations with 11 members if a juror is dismissed.
Four alternates have not been included in the deliberations.
The dismissed juror is a Phoenix woman, a former Republican precinct committeewoman who voted for Symington in 1994.
The five women and seven men on the jury had deliberated for eight days.
Symington is charged with 21 felony counts of bank fraud, attempted extortion and perjury.
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