Jurors in the trial of former Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona have reached a verdict, according Thom Mrozak with the U.S. Department of Justice. The verdict will be read at 11:45 a.m Pacific.
Carona, who grew up in Covina, is accused in a massive corruption case that led to the dismantling of his department. We’ll have the verdict when it arrives.
* Cleared on all but one count. This from CBS 2:
A jury Friday acquitted former Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona of all but one count of witness tampering in a lengthy corruption trial against the former head of the nation’s fifth largest sheriffs department.
Carona, 53, who Larry King dubbed “America’s sheriff” after the capture of 5-year-old Samantha Runnion’s killer, was cleared of one count of conspiracy, three counts of mail fraud and a second count of witness tampering.
Witnesses to the hearing described Carona as “shaking and sobbing” when the verdict was read.
Cleared of all but one charge? That is utterly ridiculous. Only in Southern California are the criminals set free!
Gotta love those SoCal juries. Is there anyone they would convict?