DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) — The fate of Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price will be in the jury’s hands next week.
Price’s attorneys wrapped up their case Thursday afternoon after only calling two witnesses to the stand in a three-day span. One was a Dallas County administrator who testified to the confidentiality of documents, saying the government’s claim of confidentiality wasn’t necessarily true. The other was a CPA who testified on transactions between Price and co-defendent Daphne Fain, saying they were strictly business deals.
The defense was originally set to take two weeks to argue on behalf of Price, but that was likely cut short due to federal prosecutors fumbling evidence multiple times — something one legal analyst says would be a focal point of an appeal if Price is found guilty.
“[Appellate attorneys will see] if that was material error, which could cause reversal or result in a new trial,” said attorney Tim Powers. “But certainly, those issues are going to be brought up.”
The government spent seven weeks making its case that Price accepted over a million dollars in bribes. The jury will hear closing arguments on Tuesday morning.
Next Generation Action Network plans to hold a rally at the courthouse Tuesday morning at 10:30 to support Price.