Stevens case could finish well before Election Day

Sen. Ted Stevens's criminal case is moving much faster than expected and could end several weeks before Election Day, a dynamic that has significant ramifications on the Alaska Republican's bid for a seventh full term in the upper chamber.

"I really don't think this is a four-week trial at this point," Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said Friday afternoon.

{mosads}Sullivan's comments come as the government's star witness, Bill Allen, is scheduled to testify Monday against Stevens. The outcome of the case could hinge on his testimony, which the defense is looking to discredit by bringing up damaging information such as an investigation into whether he had sex with an underage girl. The judge has yet to decide whether to allow that information to be brought up during the defense's cross-examination.

Initially, the Justice Department had expected to take three weeks to lay out its case that the longest-serving GOP senator in history concealed more than $250,000 in gifts and home renovations from Allen, the former head of the now-defunct oil-services firm, Veco Corp., and other longtime friends.

Allen has already pleaded guilty to bribing Alaska state legislators, and will testify that Stevens was aware of the home renovations when he failed to report them on his Senate disclosure forms. Each of the seven felony counts of making false statements carries up to five years in prison.

Now the Justice Department says the prosecution could finish its case in one-and-a-half weeks, concluding either Friday, Oct. 3 or Monday, Oct. 6. Stevens's attorneys, who deny all seven charges, said they would take just one week to defend the senator.

That means the jury deliberations could start the week of Oct. 13, or earlier, and a verdict might be reached well before Election Day. If Stevens is acquitted, it could give him significant momentum as he returns to Alaska to campaign against Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) in the closely contested race.

But if he is found guilty on some of or all of the charges, Stevens would have to decide whether to continue campaigning or drop out from the race. Either way, the senator's name will still be on the November ballot.

The quicker timetable was announced after seven government witnesses testified since opening arguments began Thursday, largely because cross-examination has not been as lengthy as expected.

"We anticipated that this would be a much longer process," said Nicholas Marsh, a Justice Department attorney. He added that the new expectation could change if cross-examination ends up taking longer.

There are about 19 more government witnesses after Allen, who will take the stand for 5-and-a-half hours Monday before cross examination. His testimony is supposed to be the longest of any witness in the case.

Stevens's defense team is still trying to get more of Allen's medical records relating to a 2001 motorcycle accident in which he slammed his head into pavement, in an attempt to discredit his memory. Allen's speech has been impaired, but his memory is still sound, prosecutors say.