Sen. Stevens: Gov't withheld key evidence in trial

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Ted Stevens accused prosecutors of withholding evidence in his gift-giving trial after a weekend in which a key government witness apparently switched sides mid-trial and told defense attorneys that important facts were being ignored.

In court documents filed just before midnight Sunday, the Senate's longest-serving Republican asked a judge to dismiss the corruption case or declare a mistrial.

Stevens is charged with lying on Senate financial disclosure forms about more than $250,000 in free home renovations and other gifts he received from VECO Corp., a powerful Alaska oil pipeline contractor.

Former VECO employees have testified that they spent countless hours working on the senator's home, building a balcony, a custom steel staircase, a new roof and more. Such testimony was expected to continue Monday as prosecutors tried to persuade jurors that Stevens must have known he was getting freebies.



Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5je6Pw1sViz24JRo9F0PNhoqMtzTwD93GCRG00

the repuglican DOJ withheld info? so Stevens gets mistrial? sounds so ummmm, what's the word??? oh, yes, repuglican!!!! :grr:

If the new story is true, the defense would have wanted him to testify all along.

This is a smoke screen of screeching made to look like information was withheld.

Supposedly Allen was in a motorcycle accident in which he suffered brain damage. Steven's wants to say Allen was not all there mentally. They do have thousands of hours of taped phone calls with Stevens though and his own words will sink him if the trial is allowed to continue.

If they want to convince a jury that the supervisor was brain damaged, they'd probably have to see that when deposing him.

They disposed of this guy's testimony for health reasons. What? A good lawyer takes that and deposes him. Enough information given. His testimony does not come up at trial.

I still see nothing hidden.

Or people railroaded by the government without due process, labeled "enemy combatants" or jailed at Guantanamo without a trial or habeas corpus?