Jury convicts all 8 defendants in Clay vote-buying case
FRANKFORT — Some of the most powerful public officials in Clay County corrupted elections in recent years, buying and stealing votes in pursuit of power and money, a federal jury ruled Thursday.
The jury convicted all eight people on trial, including former Circuit Judge R. Cletus Maricle, 66, and former school Superintendent Douglas C. Adams, 58, on a charge that they engaged in organized criminal acts to rig elections.
After a seven-week trial, jurors deliberated about nine hours before convicting the defendants on all the charges they faced, which included vote-buying, mail fraud, extortion and money laundering.
They face up to 20 years each on some charges.
The jury also ruled they were jointly liable for a judgment of $3.2 million, based on the salaries and contracts they were able to get as a result of illegal acts.
At the request of prosecutors, U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves ordered all eight jailed pending sentencing in August. Most had been free or on home detention before the trial.
After the conviction, Reeves ruled that they posed a danger to the community and that there was a risk they would flee.
Family members wept as the eight were led from the courtroom in handcuffs at the end of the day.
Those on trial were disappointed with the verdict.
"When you ain't done nothing, it's hard to take it," county Clerk Freddy W. Thompson said immediately after the verdict as he smoked a cigarette outside the federal courthouse.
It is likely all eight will appeal. One issue they could raise is that Reeves allowed the admission of evidence of vote-buying and other crimes by defendants from before the time covered in their indictment.
"I think there are many, many issues that are promising on appeal," said Maricle's attorney, David Hoskins.
More could be charged
The verdict raised the possibility that more people could be charged with vote fraud in the county.
Prosecutors and witnesses at the trial identified a number of others, including former and current public officials, who allegedly took part in buying votes.
"We are very pleased with the jury's verdict and look forward to continuing our investigation of many of the things we learned in this trial," said the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen C. Smith.
The verdict capped the latest phase of a federal investigation that has blown a hole in the power structure that held sway in Manchester and Clay County for years.
Several once-prominent officials were convicted in earlier phases of the investigation on corruption and drug charges, including a longtime mayor of Manchester, an assistant police chief, city council members, a county clerk and magistrates.
Those charged with Maricle, Adams and Thompson, 46, were Magistrate Stanley Bowling, 59; Charles Wayne Jones, 69, a former county Democratic election commissioner; William Stivers, 57, a former precinct worker; and William Bart Morris, 51, who owns a garbage-transfer company, and his wife Debra L. Morris, 50, who owns a beauty shop.
They were charged with using the county election board as a tool to rig elections in 2002, 2004 and 2006, appointing corrupt precinct officers to help with vote-buying.
The indictment charged that Maricle and Adams were political bosses who used their powerful positions to head the effort. The others allegedly played various roles, such as choosing corrupt election officers and paying voters.
The eight wanted to control elections so they could get power and enrich themselves and friends in a place where jobs are scarce, according to the charges and arguments in court.
In addition to jobs, there were city and county contracts at stake for Bowling's excavation company and Bart Morris' business, prosecutors and witnesses said.
"In Clay County, if you're not in politics or in with the clique, you don't get nothing," Kenneth Day, a convicted drug dealer and professed vote-buyer, testified.
The scheme to buy votes allegedly worked with practiced efficiency.
Participants checked lists of voters to identify those who would take bribes and lined up people to drive them to the polls, where complicit precinct workers made sure they voted correctly and gave them a sticker or ticket to redeem for payment, according to the indictment and testimony.
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/03/26/1197075/jury-convicts-all-8-defendants.html
