June 26, 2001

It appears more and more likely that the trial in the Olympic bribery case will start later and last longer than previously projected. And now, ongoing battles over legal technicalities make another delay in the trial possible.

News Specialist John Daley has details.

Given that some key issues are unresolved, it's possible the trial won't start July 16 as scheduled.

And given the high number of witnesses expected to testify, it's also possible the case could spill over until mid-October or even November.

Recently, U.S. magistrate Ronald Boyce denied a defense motion to drop four racketeering charges and a conspiracy charge.

Now the defense team has filed a formal objection to that decision, asking presiding Judge David Sam to reconsider.

They say federal prosecutors are using a novel legal theory--bending the federal travel act, expanding a "rarely applied state misdemeanor into federal racketeering charges."

Later they write: "It is not a crime in Utah to treat IOC members as they were treated by the Salt Lake Bid Committee."

Magistrate Boyce has yet to rule on motions to dismiss 10 fraud charges against the pair.

With the trial now three weeks away, increasingly a delay looks possible.

Johnson's attorney, Max Wheeler, says, "We're concerned that there are major issues that are unresolved. We still don't have rulings on key motions."

Early estimates had the trial lasting six weeks. Now, it appears it'll go twice that long.

Prosecutors are expected to call more than 30 witnesses. So is the defense team.

If each witness takes roughly a day, the Olympic trial could easily go on until mid-October.

Taylor says, "It doesn't seem to me it's going to get done in the time period people have been talking about."

No doubt this is a complicated case and it will simply take some time to sort it all out in court.