Stevens Jury Catches Indictment 'Typo'

Oct. 27, 2008 — -- After a string of errors in the trial of Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, jurors deliberating the case have found a small but crucial mistake in the case relating to the Republican's 2001 Senate financial disclosure form.

In a note to U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan the jury found that information in the indictment charging Stevens with making false statements on the forms and information on the senator's 2001 financial form contradicted each other.

The indictment against Stevens noted, "The first page of the 2001 Financial Disclosure Form contained the following question, followed by boxes for YES and NO:

'Did you, your spouse or dependent child receive any reportable gift in the reporting period (i.e., aggregating more than $260 and not otherwise exempt)? If yes, Complete and Attach PART V. On the 2001 Financial Disclosure Form, STEVENS checked the NO box."

The jury has correctly found that after reviewing Stevens' forms, the senator did check the "yes" box. The error is on page 6 of exhibit 884.

"These items do not correspond. What do we do?" the note from the jury read.

The request by the jury follows a trail in which the judge admonished the government for withholding evidence, submitting records into evidence that prosecutors knew were false as well as sending subpoenaed witnesses back to Alaska in the dead of the night without notifying the defense team.

The 2001 charge against Stevens is crucial. This is the year that renovations on his home were completed and the year he reportedly received furniture from Veco CEO Bill Allen, a $2,695 massage chair from friend Bob Persons, a $3,200 stained-glass window for his newly improved house, a Viking gas grill and a large tool set.

On his 2001 Senate form Stevens only reported receiving a $1,100 "Special Commemorative Gold Olympic coin" for serving as the honorary chairman of the Special Olympics.

The judge heard arguments from the opposing lawyers on how to respond to the jury's question and said, "This jury is very perceptive. ? They do not miss anything."