Could there be a plea deal after Mangano mistrial?
<p>Ed and Linda Mangano lived to fight another day when a mistrial was declared in their federal corruption case.</p>
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Jun 1, 2018, 9:34 PM
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Updated 2,394 days ago
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Ed and Linda Mangano lived to fight another day when a mistrial was declared in their federal corruption case yesterday, but could a plea deal be in the works?
Federal prosecutors say they will retry the case.
“We’re ready to fight another day if that happens,” countered Mangano attorney Kevin Keating.
But the former Nassau County executive, his wife and their attorneys are hoping to avoid a second legal battle.
“Unfortunately that is something that is not in our control, but I would hope they would look at the thoroughness that has already occurred. And the expense that's already went into such a trial. An enormous expense,” said Ed Mangano.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York is not content to walk away empty-handed. Touro law professor Richard Klein says it’s not surprising that prosecutors intend to retry the couple considering the government spent years building the case, only to watch it result in a mistrial and the outright acquittal of the Manganos’ co-defendant, former Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto.
“Whenever you have all of the time and all of the money put forward with nothing to show for it, I do think it causes kind of a black eye,” says Klein.
Klein says federal prosecutors will now speak with the jurors, to try and find out why the jury was unable to reach a verdict. That’s information the government can use to tighten up its case in a retrial.
“The least they would do is try to get some kind of plea deal,” says Klein.
But that is something the Manganos say is not an option for them. Attorney John Carman says jurors told him the majority backed the acquittal of Ed and Linda Mangano, something prosecutors should keep in mind.
“Hopefully the government will take note of that, and think honestly about the case they brought, which is substantially the case they'd have to bring again if they choose to go forward with this,” says Carman.
Klein says it’s impossible to estimate how much money the federal government spent on this case, from its origins as an FBI investigation several years ago through a grueling 12-week trial.
“Whenever you have all of the time and all of the money put forward with nothing to show for it, I do think it causes kind of a black eye,” says Klein.
Klein says federal prosecutors will now speak with the jurors, to try and find out why the jury was unable to reach a verdict. That’s information the government can use to tighten up its case in a retrial.
“The least they would do is try to get some kind of plea deal,” says Klein.
But that is something the Manganos say is not an option for them. Attorney John Carman says jurors told him the majority backed the acquittal of Ed and Linda Mangano, something prosecutors should keep in mind.
“Hopefully the government will take note of that, and think honestly about the case they brought, which is substantially the case they'd have to bring again if they choose to go forward with this,” says Carman.
Klein says it’s impossible to estimate how much money the federal government spent on this case, from its origins as an FBI investigation several years ago through a grueling 12-week trial.
A status hearing is set for June 28, where the judge could set the date for a new trial.
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