Trial tab put at more than $58,000

Bill Gang

Thursday, June 20, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The cost to taxpayers for the washed-out trial of three former Metro Police bicycle patrol officers has been more than $58,000, according to District Court Administrator Charles Short.

He said Wednesday that is "probably a very conservative figure" and does not include pre-trial or post-trial court hearings or much of the non-trial work by the district attorney's office.

The trial, which resulted in felony convictions on oppression charges for James Campbell, Brian Nicholson and Robert Phelan, turned into just a futile exercise Wednesday.

District Judge Lee Gates granted a motion by the officers for a new trial because one of the jurors had worked his way onto the jury by failing to disclose his recent lewdness charge.

In the trial, Short said the jury costs alone reached $11,767.

That included travel pay, daily compensation, food and lodging for the 12 jurors and four alternates during the 14 days of trial.

In addition, 85 prospective jurors had to be compensated during the three days of jury selection.

Short said actual trial time costs about $500 an hour for the judge and his staff, the court reporter, prosecutors and operational expenses of the facility.

At that rate, the cost for 5 1/2 hours a day in trial reached an estimated $46,750.