2 Alternates Added to Jury in Trial of Former Governor

CHICAGO _ A federal judge announced Tuesday afternoon that she had rejected a defense request for a mistrial, added two alternates to the jury and planned to restart the deliberations in former Illinois Gov. George Ryan’s trial.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer stressed that she could reconsider her decision if she felt deliberations were unfair and “circumstances warrant.”

“I have not shut the door on this possibility,” the judge said of granting a mistrial, picking a new jury and holding a retrial.

“This has been an enormous challenge for me,” Pallmeyer said in the courtroom following about four hours of closed-door discussions with lawyers in the case.

The jury, including the two former alternates, was then brought into the courtroom.

“The fact that there have been circumstances that led to the excusal of two jurors should not in any way enter into your deliberations,” she told the jury.

Pallmeyer then began to read 148 pages of legal instructions to the jury, the same instructions that were read to the original jury more than two weeks ago.

Pallmeyer on Monday excused two jurors from the trial after the Chicago Tribune uncovered that both had apparently concealed arrest records during jury selection in September.

Ryan is on trial with lobbyist Lawrence Warner on charges the former governor steered millions of dollars in state business to Warner and other close friends for vacations, gifts and other benefits.

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