AP News, October 11th, 2007
Jurors said Thursday they remained deadlocked over whether Texas Southern University's former president misspent school funds to lavishly decorate her homes.
It was the second time in as many days that jurors indicated they could not reach a verdict in the trial of Priscilla Slade. But the judge told them to continue, and they were to resume their work Friday.
In their note, jurors said they were still deadlocked, this time by a vote of 7-5. In a note sent Wednesday, the jury said it was deadlocked by a vote of 8-4. Neither note has indicated whether jurors are leaning toward conviction or acquittal.
After state District Judge Brock Thomas read Thursday's note from the jury, Slade's attorney, Mike DeGeurin, asked for a mistrial. Thomas denied the motion, and deliberations continued.
Slade, 55, is on trial for one of two counts of misapplication of fiduciary property with a value over $200,000. If convicted, she faces up to life in prison.
Jurors also have the option of convicting Slade of a lesser charge, misapplication of fiduciary property with a value of $100,000 to $200,000. It carries a sentence of as many as 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors said that during Slade's more than six years as president of the state's largest historically black university, she spent more than $138,000 on landscaping, more than $56,000 on a high-tech security system and more than $100,000 in furniture and other home decorations, including nearly $13,600 for custom silk bedding and window treatments.
Her attorney argued that all his client's spending was done to improve the school's status. He accused prosecutors of making her a scapegoat for TSU's problems.
The spending scandal resulted in Slade being fired in April 2006. She and three other TSU employees were indicted a few months later for their roles in the misspending.
The allegations against Slade coincided with reports that revealed a pattern of financial mismanagement at TSU. The entire nine-member board of regents resigned at Gov. Rick Perry's request.
