Judge dismisses juror in Stevens case

The judge overseeing Sen. Ted Stevens's corruption trial dismissed one juror Sunday evening and ordered deliberations to restart just eight days before the Alaska Republican stands for reelection.

{mosads}Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said Sunday he planned to call in an alternate juror to replace a woman who left Washington Friday because of the death of her father. Despite repeated attempts by the court to reach the juror, Sullivan said he had no way of knowing whether she could return to Washington and rejoin deliberations.

"The court is inclined to excuse her from further proceedings," Sullivan said in a hearing Sunday evening.

Sullivan said he would call in an alternate, a woman with an information-technology background, Monday morning for questioning before ordering deliberations to start over. The alternate sat through the entire four-week trial before being dismissed by Sullivan before deliberations began Oct. 22.

The decision is a blow to Stevens's defense team, which wanted the judge to wait until Monday to see whether the court could establish contact with the juror. If the woman could not be reached, then the court should proceed with just 11 jurors, said defense attorney Robert Cary.

But Sullivan rejected moving forward with just 11 jurors, saying if another one is excused, there would be "major problems."

Since deliberations began last week, there have been signs of tensions during talks, including reports of one woman being "rude" and making "violent outbursts" among the jurors. That juror is not the one who was dismissed on Sunday.

Signs of tensions usually are positive for defense attorneys, but a new juror could potentially provide a calming presence.

Jurors have only spent about one and a half days deliberating, since talks were scrapped Friday because the juror had to leave Washington.

Stevens, 84, has pleaded not guilty to seven felony charges of making false statements. The longest-serving Republican senator faces re-election on Nov. 4.