Jurors Under Investigation for Attempted Bribery

Dorothy Hendricks, 54, of St. Croix has been charged with allegedly trying to sell her vote on a criminal jury. Another juror is also under investigation in the U.S. Virgin Islands for trying to sell their votes for between $3000 and $5000 to a defense attorney.

The jurors were sitting in a tax evasion case involving car dealer Jamie Auffenberg. He and his co-defendants were acquitted on 21 counts stemming from a tax shelter for U.S. businessmen. The government has stated that it will not seek to overturn the acquittal.

The defense attorney reported the offer to the judge the following morning. While the defense asked the judge to declared a mistrial, the judge refused and replaced Hendricks with an alternate juror. The ruling was controversial but the court questioned the other jurors. Ironically, the defense is fortunate that the court rejected its motion since the jury proceeded to acquit all of the defendants.

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