By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-864081.mp3
Dallas, TX –
A federal jury returns guilty verdicts across the board in the Dallas City Hall corruption case. KERA's BJ Austin says the charges included conspiracy, bribery, extortion and deprivation of honest services.
Former Dallas City Councilman Don Hill, his wife - Sheila Farrington Hill, former City Plan Commissioner D'Angelo Lee, community activist Darren Reagan and businessman Rickey Robertson were found guilty on the major charges against them.
Shelia and Don Hill spoke briefly outside the courthouse following the unanimous verdict.
Sheila Hill: Justice was not served. That's how I feel. My husband and I are innocent.
Don Hill: I know in my heart that I didn't have a corrupt intent in anything I did. All we wanted to do is do the very best for the citizens of Dallas, and we were doing it at great sacrifice.
Hill's defense attorney Ray Jackson says the three-month trial, five days of deliberations, and hundreds of pieces of evidence likely overwhelmed jurors.
Jackson: And I think a lot of times when a lot of evidence is presented that the jury is unable to separate what was going on. I think it was probably just easier for them to say, okay, everybody's guilty.
Lead prosecutor Marcus Busch says the jury had a very clear picture of the roles the defendants played in a scheme to trade favorable votes at City Hall votes for cash and contracts from low income housing developers.
Busch: They violated the public trust. Their conduct was egregious. The jury has sent a message contrary to the defendants' arguments that this constituted business as usual and politics and usual.
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, in a statement, says reforms covering lobbying and how zoning cases are handled will be addressed in the aftermath of this high profile case.
A sentencing date has not been set. The defendants could get up to 20 years in prison on several of the counts. Defense attorneys plan to appeal.