Minor’s judicial bribery trial now scheduled for January
Published 7:23 pm Tuesday, November 7, 2006
The second judicial bribery trial of Gulf Coast attorney Paul S. Minor has been postponed until January.
Minor and co-defendants former Chancery Judge Wes Teel and former Circuit Judge John Whitfield had been scheduled to stand trial on Nov. 16. A federal court granted the postponement Monday after Minor’s attorneys said they were concerned about the trial occurring during the holiday season.
Minor, who will remain in custody, is accused of bribing Whitfield and Teel. Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz Jr. was acquitted of bribery charges after a three-month trial last summer, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on some charges against Minor, Teel and Whitfield.
Minor is the only one of the defendants in jail. Last Month, U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate denied a request that Minor be ordered to home confinement, with electronic monitoring.
Wingate earlier revoked Minor’s bond, saying the attorney had “pushed boundaries” in violating the conditions of his pretrial release. It was the second time this year Minor, 60, was jailed for violating terms of his bond.
Information from: The Clarion-Ledger, http://www.clarionledger.com