JACKSON - The judicial bribery trial of Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz Jr. has been delayed until next week because of a death in the family of Diaz's attorney.
Larry McDuff, 65, was apparently killed in a hit-and-run accident on Monday as he was riding his bicycle in Fairhope, Ala. He is the brother of Diaz's attorney, Robert McDuff of Jackson.
Fairhope Police Chief Chris Browning said a 17-year-old Spanish Fort boy was being held at a juvenile detention facility in Bay Minette, Ala. on the felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident.
Investigators said they found a slightly damaged 1991 Cherokee parked in a wooded area Monday and matched the vehicle to materials recovered from the crash site.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Fulcher, who is a member of the prosecution team in the bribery case, said U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate agreed to resume the trial on Monday.
"It's terrible that happened," Fulcher said of the accident. "You hate to see that happen to anybody."
In the bribery trial, wealthy Gulf Coast attorney Paul Minor is accused of buying favorable decisions from Diaz, former Circuit Judge John Whitfield and former Chancery Judge Wes Teel.
Minor is accused, among other things, with providing cash, gifts and loan guarantees for the three judges.
All have pleaded innocent to charges of bribery and fraud, and Minor has pleaded innocent to an additional count of racketeering.
The bribery trial had been scheduled to resume Wednesday after a three-day recess due to scheduling conflicts with some other Wingate cases.
Thus far in the trial, federal prosecutors have been laying out a paper trail of checks linked to campaign contributions and loans allegedly secured by Minor for Diaz, Teel and Whitfield.
Robert McDuff has expressed confidence throughout the trial that Diaz would be exonerated of the charges. He had no immediate comment on the death of his brother.
Funeral services for Larry McDuff have been scheduled for Thursday at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Daphne, Ala.
Larry McDuff was also survived by four children and seven grandchildren.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
