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11 News BLOG |
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June 2008
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Recently by Jason WhitelyHouston City Councilwoman Carol Alvarado is testifying before a Harris County Grand Jury this morning. Andrew Fastow, one of the key figures in Enron Corp.’s collapse, was sentenced to six years in prison Tuesday. Fastow, Enron’s former chief financial officer, had agreed to serve a maximum 10-year term when he pleaded guilty in 2004. But the judge said he deserved a lighter sentence because Fastow has been persecuted following Enron’s collapse and that his family has suffered enough. “Prosecution is necessary, but persecution was not,” said U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt. “These factors call for mercy.” Fastow was taken immediately into custody after the judge rejected his requ... Homes and businesses along the main drag in Chalmette, La., are still gutted one year after Katrina submerged this community. Some restaurants have reopened but can only serve food outside in their parking lots, including Dominos Pizza since many dining rooms are still unusable and have no utilities. We've heard so much about what Katrina wrecked in New Orleans over the last year. Rarely do we hear a story like Thomas Bayer's. ..."Nothing really works well yet," Thomas Bayer explained about the state of his city a year after Hurricane Katrina struck. Electricity bills don't come on a regular basis and "the figure is often a fantasy," he added. The U.S. Marshals Service said federal prosecutors will recommend releasing three British bankers on bond when they appear before a magistrate Friday afternoon at 2pm. But there is one condition, Marianne Matus, the U.S. Marshals spokeswoman, said. ...The South Texas Project, a two-unit nuclear power plant in Matagorda County, will double in size, NRG Energy announced Wednesday morning. ...The jury has reached a verdict in the criminal trials of former CEOs Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling. Judge Sim Lake's case manager, Heather Carr, confirmed the news to KHOU-TV. The verdict will be read at 11:00am in Courtroom 9B. It will be blogged here. ...More reporters returned to Camp Enron parachuting in to await the jury's verdict. The number of photographers, tents on the sidewalks, and satellite trucks parked on Rusk has grown since the jury began deliberations last week. ...Just before going to lunch Wednesday, the twelve jurors in the Enron trial asked their first question of the court. The judge granted part of the request and sent a note back asking them to be more specific about the second part. You've likely heard the phrase 'hurry up and wait;' perhaps at an airport anticipating a delayed flight. Soldiers awaiting battle know the words well. With little to do as the jury deliberates on this, the 60th day of the Enron trial, the phrase applies here, too. ...Cross-examination of Ken Lay ended just before lunch Tuesday with the former CEO fending off charges from prosecutor John Hueston. ...Enron founder Ken Lay tangled for a second time with prosecutor John Hueston, this time over allegations of bank fraud. Hueston cross-examined a testy Lay during his first trial. Cross-examination in this second trial was different. ...After three days, Ken Lay's second criminal trial, this one for bank fraud, will likely end Tuesday. Ken Lay testified he did misuse bank loans. His reason? ...The twelve jurors in the Enron case arrived at Houston's federal courthouse early Tuesday morning to begin their fourth day of deliberations. Late Monday, they asked for... ...Behind Courtroom 9B, down a private hallway at Houston's federal courthouse, twelve men and women are deliberating Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling's fate. As of Monday morning, jurors have worked quietly, not asking any questions. ...Ken Lay told KHOU-TV that he plans to testify in his own defense Monday in his bank fraud trial. ...This blog will update as Ken Lay's trial on bank fraud charges unfolds at the Houston federal courthouse. It began Thursday morning as jurors started their second day of deliberations in his first trial. 11News Reporter Jason Whitely is blogging highlights of this second trial here. ...This is a running blog from Houston's federal courthouse as we monitor the jury deliberations in the Enron trial. 11News Reporter Jason Whitely is keeping tabs on developments and updating you here. ...The jury in the Enron case began deliberations at 10:41am Wednesday morning. Prosecutors made their last pitch before the jury in the Enron case beforehand. 11News Reporter Jason Whitely is blogging highlights of the closing arguments and happenings inside the courtroom. ...Closing arguments are underway Tuesday in the criminal trials of Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling. 11News Reporter Jason Whitely is blogging highlights here. Closing arguments are underway in the criminal trials of former Enron CEOs Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling. 11News Reporter Jason Whitely is blogging highlights of the day here. ...Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling's defense team is resting its case and prosecutors are putting on their rebuttal case on this 53rd day of the trial. 11News Reporter Jason Whitely is blogging highlights of today's testimony. ...The defense said it plans to rest its case Monday, even eliminated a couple of expert witnesses. Prosecutors also surprised the court by saying, it will not take as long on rebuttal as originally expected. ...Judge Sim Lake has excused one of the 16 jurors in the Enron trial. The woman, who was not identified, is the third alternate juror. She called in sick Monday morning and Judge Sim Lake decided to excuse her permanently from the trial so as not to delay testimony. ...After five weeks Ken Lay's lead attorney is back in court. Mike Ramsey returned to Houston's federal courthouse Monday morning. 11News Photojournalist Lynn Roder, who spoke with Ramsey, said he appears to have lost weight but had his color back. Texas Christian University Finance Professor Christopher Barry testified he waived his normal $600 an hour fee because he thinks Ken Lay needs the help. ...The parents of a missing 3-year-old boy were reportedly shown a child-sized casket by Houston Police homicide investigators as the next place they would likely see their son. ...Here's the timeline of what is supposed to happen in the final week and a half of the Enron trial. ...Enron Task Force Spokeswoman Samantha Martin asks that question in her daily email to reporters. ...Hard to believe but after 14 weeks, the criminal trial of former Enron CEOs Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling is winding down. Wednesday is day 51 of testimony. Those poor people in the jury box have slugged through 14 weeks of testimony in the criminal trial of former Enron CEOs Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling. Now, after hearing the government's case... Federal prosecutors are putting two high-ranking Enron Broadband executives on trial for a second time just steps away from where former CEOs Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling are fighting to stay out of prison. ...Ken Lay's defense team is calling a unique yet powerful group of character witnesses to vouch for the 64-year-old. 11News Reporter Jason Whitely is blogging highlights of Tuesday's testimony here. ...Enron founder Ken Lay returns to the stand for the fifth day in his criminal trial. 11News Reporter Jason Whitely is blogging highlights of testimony here. ...Enron founder Ken Lay is on his second day of cross-examination. Testimony has been contentious at moments. 11News Reporter Jason Whitely will blog highlights here. ...Enron founder Ken Lay is on his third day of testimony. Sometie Wednesday he is supposed to undergo cross-examination. 11News Reporter Jason Whitely is listening to testimony and blogging highlights here. ...Enron founder Ken Lay is on the stand for a second day defending himself in his own words. This blog will highlight testimony as heard by 11News Reporter Jason Whitely. Enron founder and former CEO Ken Lay is on the stand for the first time Monday morning in his own defense. This blog will have highlights from his testimony written by 11News Reporter Jason Whitely. ...Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling is spending his second full day facing probing questions from prosecutors in cross-examination. 11News Reporter Jason Whitely is blogging highlights here of Tuesday's testimony. ...Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling faces cross-examintion Monday by federal prosecutors. You can read highights of today's testimony below from 11News Reporter Jason Whitely. ...Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling is defending himself for a fourth day this Thursday. This continually updated blog will feature highlights of his testimony from 11 News Reporter Jason Whitely. ...Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling is defending himself for a third day this Wednesday. This continually updated blog will feature highlights from his most recent testimony as recorded by 11 News Reporter Jason Whitely. ...Inside is a running blog of Jeff Skilling's testimony in his first day on the witness stand. ...Jeff Skilling told jurors he wanted to leave Enron not only to spend time with his family but also teach businesses courses at New York, Rice, and Harvard universities. Skilling told jurors why he suddenly left Enron in 2001 only weeks after taking over as its chief executive officer. ...Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling took the witness chair at 10:24 a.m. Monday in his own defense. ...During testimony Monday morning former Enron chief counsel James Derrick said he still has thousands of shares of now worthless Enron stock. ...Ken Lay's attorney, Mike Ramsey, was released from the hospital Saturday and is now recovering at home, the Enron founder said this morning. ...Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling will testify sometime late Monday morning in his own defense. In testimony Thursday morning, one of Jeff Skilling's attorneys, Mark Holscher, tried to shift blame away from his client and Ken Lay back to former CFO Andrew Fastow and Enron's former outside accounting firm, Arthur Andersen. Jeff Skilling's defense team continued to poke holes in the prosecution case Thursday morning. Today, it tackled one of the most memorable and damaging quotes from the prosecution's case; "They're on to us," which Skilling allegedly said to other top executives at a meeting in May 2001. All signs point to former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling taking the stand Thursday afternoon. But several dynamics could go into play and change that. Taking the stand Wednesday morning is a veteran Vinson & Elkins attorney, Max Hendrick, who investigated Sherron Watkins allegations about fraud and corruption in the company. We're learning who will and will not run for the congressional seat being vacated by Tom DeLay. Harris County Judge Robert Eckels says maybe. State Senator Kyle Janek says no. The only two definitely in are Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace and attorney Tom Campbell, who ran against DeLay in the primary. Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace told 11News late Monday night that he intended to run for the seat Congressman Tom DeLay said he is vacating. ...As part of our coverage of DeLay's retirement from Congress, 11News Reporter Jeff McShan went to the congressman's Sugar Land home, only to have a U.S. Capitol Police officer ask him to leave. ...The condition of Mike Ramsey appears to be more serious than first thought. As Ken Lay's lead attorney, Ramsey had a stent put in his heart ten days ago. Now, we're told complications have developed. Ken Lay's lead attorney, Mike Ramsey, was absent at federal court as the defense began presenting its case. A spokesperson in his office says he is not in the hospital but he is resting after having a stent installed in his heart a week ago last Friday. The defense called its first witness Monday morning, Joanie Williamson, who testified her friend and the prosecution's first witness, Mark Koenig, lied to jurors in the Enron trial. Enron founder Ken Lay walked to federal court alone Monday morning for the beginning of the defense's case. His lead attorney, Mike Ramsey, did not make the familiar trek from offices next door at the Bank of America building. ...Students returned to classes at West Brook High School in Beaumont Thursday morning but this day was more different than anyone can remember. ...According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's website Sun Travel's bus drivers score below the national average. ...After what started out as an intense cross-examination, the back and forth between Skilling attorney Daniel Petrocelli and ex-Enron treasurer Ben Glisan had a few lights moments Thursday morning. During cross-examination, Ben Glisan recounts seeing a handcuffed Jeff Skilling in an elevator at federal court the day he was arrested. Cross-examination of ex-Enron Treasurer Ben Glisan is underway right now at Houston's Federal Court. Skilling's attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, is not holding back in trying to discredit Glisan before the jury. ...Wednesday afternoon testimony was another damaging day for Enron founder Ken Lay. ...In testimony Wednesday afternoon, ex-Enron treasurer hammered Ken Lay. As the company spiraled toward bankruptcy Glisan said Lay blatantly lied about the value of the energy company he created in the 1980s. ...With former Enron Treasurer Ben Glisan beginning his second day on the stand, prosecutors are announcing the last few witnesses they plan to call before resting their case in the next week or so. Ben Glisan, Enron's former treasurer, is back on the stand Wednesday morning providing powerful testimony for the prosecution. Among the final few witnesses the government is calling to testify in the Enron trial is Ronald Barone, a credit analyst with Standard & Poors credit rating agency in New York. ...The Enron trial spent Tuesday morning bogged down in another day of boring, complex, and detailed testimony from former Arthur Andersen accountants John Sult and Tom Bauer. ...Ben Glisan arrived at Houston's federal courthouse early Tuesday morning ready to play his role in the Enron trial. If you didn't know Glisan is a federal inmate it would have been hard to tell. ...Former Enron Treausrer Ben Glisan will testify Tuesday afternoon against his two former bosses, Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling. Attorneys from both sides told the judge they have about six weeks of testimony left to present. ...After an interesting few days last week, the energy of the Enron trial has fallen sharply Monday morning. ...As the government winds down its fraud and conspiracy case against Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling, it is calling a couple former accountants from Arthur Andersen. The Texas Southern University Board of Regents went into closed executive session Thursday morning at 10:15 to consider the future of University President Priscilla Slade. ...Sherron Watkins came to court with shorter hair than we have seen her wear in the past. ...Enron's former chief risk officer, Vince Kaminski, returns to the stand Wednesday morning. Sherron Watkins, the so-called whistle-blower, who wrote a memo to Ken Lay warning him of impending problems, takes the stand next. Prosecutors continued an assault on Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling Tuesday afternoon, calling their third witness of the day to testify. ...A 46-year-old pipeline worker from New Mexico is the latest witness in the prosecution's case against Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling. Tuesday afternoon, he provided powerful testimony for the prosecution. ...The latest witness prosecutors called in the Enron trial is likely the youngest. With Fastow, the government's highest witness, finished testifying, legal experts believe the trial will now speed up. ...Seems Ken Lay's attorney is getting frustrated during the beginning of cross-examination of Andrew Fastow over a hearing problem. ...Petrocelli finally finished with Fastow leaving a certain degree of doubt with jurors about what the two defendants really knew. ...After greeting the jury Monday morning, Judge Lake said Daniel Petrocelli, who had cross-examined Andrew Fastow for two days before resting last Thursday, in fact, had more questions for Fastow. ...This is the beginning of week seven of the criminal trial of former Enron CEOs Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling. ...Daniel Petrocelli has gone more than a day grilling Andrew Fastow in cross-examination. The back-and-forth between the two men is interesting theater to watch. Andrew Fastow admits he destroyed the original document, but after a copy was discovered in his safe deposit box, the so-called Global Galactic agreement is the center of questions in Fastow's third day on the stand. ...Cross-examination is underway at this hour in courtroom 9B of the Houston Federal Courthouse. Daniel Petrocelli, attorney for Jeff Skilling, is continuing to question former Enron Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow. ...
After two hours of damaging testimony to Ken Lay, prosecutors finished questioning former Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow about 10:45 Tuesday morning. Within minutes Skilling's lead attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, got up and fired away at Fastow. ...Ken Lay has to be cringing in his chair as he listens to Andrew Fastow testify Wednesday morning. There is still a buzz around federal court about testimony on Tuesday from former Enron CFO Andrew Fastow. The 44-year-old spent almost the entire day on the stand facing direct examination from prosecutor John Hueston. He is back on the stand right now continuing to lay out his story of what happened at Enron. |
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