Scrushy Jury Talks Done for the Week

Deadlocked jurors began a four-day weekend Wednesday after failing again to reach a verdict in the trial of HealthSouth Corp. founder and fired Chief Executive Richard Scrushy, accused of leading a $2.7-billion earnings overstatement.

The jury, which has deliberated 12 days but has been impaneled since Jan. 25, won’t return until Monday because at least two members had vacation trips that were paid in advance, court officials said.

Taking a break during deliberations in a major federal trial is unusual but not unprecedented, said Joel Androphy, a lawyer who specializes in corporate crime.

“You certainly don’t want a juror who is supposed to be on vacation feeling like they’re sitting there being forced to make a decision,” said Androphy, of Berg & Androphy in Houston.

U.S. District Judge Karon O. Bowdre also gave them time off in March while many schools were off for spring break.

Last week Bowdre told the jurors to continue deliberating after the foreman sent a note saying they could not reach a verdict on any of the 36 counts against Scrushy.

Scrushy is accused of orchestrating a huge fraud at the rehabilitation and medical services chain over seven years beginning in 1996.

The defense blames the fraud on Scrushy’s subordinates, including 15 former HealthSouth executives who pleaded guilty.

Scrushy is the first chief executive accused of violating the Sarbanes-Oxley corporate reporting law, passed three years ago after a string of business scandals. He also is accused of conspiracy, fraud, false reporting and money laundering.