Alabama: Judge refuses to block retrial of Alabama gambling corruption case

Judge refuses to block retrial of Alabama gambling corruption case
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The judge in Alabama's gambling corruption case has refused a request from the defendants to block a retrial scheduled for Jan. 30.

Casino owner Milton McGregor and five other defendants argued that retrying them after a hung jury in August amounted to double jeopardy. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson disagreed in an order Friday.

The defendants also argued that most of the remaining charges against them should be thrown out because the jury in the original trial acquitted them on all extortion charges and on most honest services fraud charges. The judge declined because he said it's not clear what facts the jury used as the basis for its acquittals on the extortion charges.

The defendants are accused of using campaign donations to buy state senators' votes for pro-gambling legislation.