HOUSTON, Texas – Call it the Twitter defence.
Allen Stanford, found guilty of masterminding a seven-billion-US-dollar Ponzi scheme through his Antiguan investment bank, says the media’s use of the social media website, Twitter, tainted his trial and has asked for a new trial.
In a 71-page filing late Wednesday before US District Court Judge David Hittner, who presided over the case here, Stanford’s lawyers said pre-trial publicity tainted the jury.
They also charged that mid-trial publicity, including press bulletins sent from the courtroom via the social media website, Twitter, added to the “taint”.
Stanford, who turns 62 on Saturday, faces a life prison term when he is sentenced on June 14, following his conviction on March 6 of 13 criminal counts including wire fraud, mail fraud and obstruction of a US Securities and Exchange Commission probe.
The verdict follows a six-week trial by a federal court jury. (CMC)
