The extortion trial that involves John Travolta and the death of his son, Jett Travolta, ended in a mistrial. A Bahamian judge declared this surprising judgment late Wednesday.
Senior Supreme Court Judge Anita Allen declared a mistrial due to juror misconduct after an announcement from a local politician that one of the defendants had been acquitted – before the jurors came back with their verdict!
Ossi, an entertainment lawyer and a prosecution witness, says a police officer heard on TV that one of the defendants – a onetime Bahamian senator named Pleasant Bridgewater – had been acquitted.
“The police officer said, ‘It looks like Pleasant got off,’ ” Ossi said.
News of Bridgewater’s acquittal was on TV two hours before the foreman told the judge the nine-member jury was having difficulty reaching a verdict.
Bridgewater (who resigned her position in the wake of the scandal) and paramedic Tarino Lightbourn were charged with conspiring to extort $25 million from Travolta. The two are accused of threatening to release personal information to the press if Travolta didn’t agree to pay.
Jett died on Jan. 2, following a seizure in the family vacation home on Grand Bahama Island.
(Image via AP)