Judge accused of stealing acquitted on most counts



The prosecution is considering whether to continue the case.
LONDON, Ohio (AP) -- A judge accused of stealing money from an estate fund he handled while a private attorney and of lying to investigators was acquitted of some charges, but jurors deadlocked on others.
Suspended Highland County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Hoskins mouthed the words "thank you" to the jury Wednesday after verdicts of innocent were read for eight of the 15 charges against him.
The jury deadlocked on the other charges after four days of deliberation in Madison County Common Pleas Court, where the trial had been moved to avoid a conflict of interest among Highland County employees.
Hoskins' lawyer, John Smith, said he was disappointed jurors didn't resolve all the counts but that the outcome was favorable. He said he hopes the state doesn't pursue the case further.
State prosecutors had accused Hoskins of using money from the fund to pay personal expenses. He also was accused of masking his involvement in a real estate purchase in Hillsboro, with the intent of leasing the land to the Adult Parole Authority -- a conflict of interest because Hoskins, as a sitting judge, had regular contact with the state agency, prosecutors said.
Hoskins, indicted in March, was acquitted of charges of tampering with evidence, perjury, tampering with records, theft in office and unlawful interest in a public contract.
No decision
The jury could not decide on counts of theft, falsification, failure to report a crime and money laundering. Visiting Judge Sumner Walters declared a mistrial for the remaining charges, and Hoskins could be retried on those counts.
Prosecutors, which have 14 days to decide whether to pursue a retrial, are reviewing the case, Bob Beasley, a spokesman with the attorney general's office, said Thursday.
The defense argued during the trial that the investigation against Hoskins was based on a conspiracy theory.
Prosecutors played for jurors recorded conversations between Hoskins and an informant that investigators said included discussions of a money laundering scheme. The informant had been used by the Highland County sheriff, the FBI and the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation from November 2004 through January 2006 in the investigation of Hoskins.
One tape showed that Hoskins thought there was a legal way to transfer the money through a real estate deal, and, in another, he refused payment of money because he thought it would constitute illegal money laundering.

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