Action News Jax is taking a closer look at the four counts a jury found former Rep. Corrine Brown not guilty of.
The jury returned guilty verdicts on 18 of her 22 counts on Thursday, mostly relating to fraud.
In an exclusive interview on Friday, Brown’s attorney James Smith called the verdicts “inconsistent” and said they provide what he calls “fertile ground” for a new trial or appeal.
“It could say that perhaps there was initially some disagreement about the government’s theory,” said Smith.
Counts three and five were both aiding and abetting mail fraud, and both related to FedEx-ing donor checks to so-called bogus charity One Door for Education.
Counts 14 and 16 were both aiding and abetting wire fraud, and both related to emails about donations from accused co-conspirator Ronnie Simmons.
Simmons is Brown’s former chief of staff, who pleaded guilty and testified against her last week.
Smith said the varying verdicts could be a result of swapping a juror out two days into deliberations, forcing the jury to start from scratch.
“We had group dynamics that started off, and then were interrupted, and then started again,” said Smith. “Given the fact that we had a change in the composition of the jury, and given the fact that we have what I think you could say were factually and legally inconsistent verdicts, I think doing my due diligence, it’s my responsibility to raise these issues in a motion for a new trial, in motion for a judgment of acquittal.”
Action News Jax reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Friday to request interviews with the prosecutors in Brown’s case, but they did not want to tell their side of the story.
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