Former labor leader John Dougherty, and his nephew, Greg Fiocca, left, leave federal court in Reading with family after a judge declared a mistrial on Thursday.Why was a mistrial declared?
As of Thursday night, that remained unclear. Prosecutors did not immediately say whether they intend to retry the case, and they declined to comment as they left the courthouse. Attorneys for Dougherty and Fiocca said they hoped the government would not pursue the case. If the government decides to move forward with a retrial, it would give both sides an opportunity to rethink their presentations, witnesses, and revise their strategies before a second trial would begin.That remained unclear Thursday night. The judge did not poll the jury on the reason for their deadlock, or how they were split. Members of the panel were escorted out of the courthouse by security staff.
The most serious counts of which Dougherty was convicted carry maximum penalties of 20 years in prison. However, it’s likely he could end up serving far less time.