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By Ed Meyer
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 02:42 p.m. EST, Nov 17, 2008
Prosecutors began questioning a pool of 48 prospective jurors this morning in the Summit County trial of former Evergreen Corp. President David B. Willan.
The 38-year-old Willan is facing 69 charges from the original 147-count indictment alleging widespread mortgage and securities fraud in the Akron area.
Retired Summit County Common Pleas Judge James E. Murphy is handling the case by appointment, and at the beginning of the proceedings he warned the jury pool about what they are up against.
''This case is long, arduous and difficult,'' Murphy said.
It involves ''massive amounts of paperwork'' that lawyers from both sides have been going over for months, he added.
Murphy has scheduled the trial to last four weeks — the first three weeks most likely covering the government's case against Willan.
In December, Willan and 16 co-defendants were named in 147 counts of an indictment announced during a news conference by county and state authorities and law enforcement officials.
But at the government's request, Murphy streamlined the massive case, eliminating the charges against the co-defendants from this portion of the trial.
Six of the original co-defendants have since pleaded guilty to various felony charges, and most, if not all, are expected to testify against Willan.
Defense attorneys William T. Whitaker and his daughter, Andrea L. Whitaker, are representing Willan. They had not begun their questioning of potential jurors before the lunch break.
Ed Meyer can be reached at 330-996-3784 or emeyer@thebeaconjournal.com.
Prosecutors began questioning a pool of 48 prospective jurors this morning in the Summit County trial of former Evergreen Corp. President David B. Willan.
The 38-year-old Willan is facing 69 charges from the original 147-count indictment alleging widespread mortgage and securities fraud in the Akron area.
Retired Summit County Common Pleas Judge James E. Murphy is handling the case by appointment, and at the beginning of the proceedings he warned the jury pool about what they are up against.
''This case is long, arduous and difficult,'' Murphy said.
It involves ''massive amounts of paperwork'' that lawyers from both sides have been going over for months, he added.
Murphy has scheduled the trial to last four weeks — the first three weeks most likely covering the government's case against Willan.
In December, Willan and 16 co-defendants were named in 147 counts of an indictment announced during a news conference by county and state authorities and law enforcement officials.
But at the government's request, Murphy streamlined the massive case, eliminating the charges against the co-defendants from this portion of the trial.
Six of the original co-defendants have since pleaded guilty to various felony charges, and most, if not all, are expected to testify against Willan.
Defense attorneys William T. Whitaker and his daughter, Andrea L. Whitaker, are representing Willan. They had not begun their questioning of potential jurors before the lunch break.
Ed Meyer can be reached at 330-996-3784 or emeyer@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Posted 03:35 PM, 11/17/2008
Quit spending our tax dollars (a million and counting so far) on this case. Evergreen provided a ton of jobs in Akron and generated millions of dollars for our community and was building/renovating new homes ALL OVER Akron ... with all the vacant houses and detiorating nieghborhoods we should could use Evergreen again.
Spend OUR money on the getting the violent criminals so us and our kids can walk the streets safely!
The Ohio AG, Summit County Sheriff and the prosecutors keep claiming they are on a tight budget ... I can think of alot better ways a million dollars and thousand of man hours could've been spent.
Quit going for headlines and start helping us be safe in our own neighborhoods.
Posted 03:41 PM, 11/17/2008
Mike,
Amen...couldn't agree more.
Posted 05:50 PM, 11/17/2008
Hey Brett ... care to elaborate?
My Heart Is In K-Town, .
Posted 08:58 PM, 11/17/2008
Am I missing something here...this guy is innocent until proven guilty and you want to let him off before that's decided? Did I read that several of his staff have already pleaded out? If it looks like a duck...
