NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Jury deliberations began Tuesday afternoon in the tax fraud trial of Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams after the defense neglected to call any witnesses to the stand.
WGNO Legal Analyst Cliff Cardone said that was a wise tactic.
“They don’t want to expose him to cross examination that could be fatal to his case,” Cardone said. “They probably think they can outdo the prosecution with the lack of evidence.”
An alleged lack of evidence to find Williams guilty of hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax fraud along with his former law partner, Nicole Burdett.
Wednesday, the jury is expected to have a verdict and what they decide could mean serious changes for the district attorney’s office.
“If it’s a decision that is a conviction for Jason Williams, he will probably be removed from office,” Cardone said. “A first assistant will be appointed to take over his spot or the governor will call a special election.”
A conviction would not just take Williams out of Orleans Parish. It could disbar him. Cardone said, he believed the defense was confident that wouldn’t be the case.
“I don’t know the prosecution has delivered what they claimed they would deliver,” Cardone said. “That’s probably why the defense has rested.”