HOUSTON -- A prosecutor who has examined dozens of witnesses in the trial for former Texas Southern University President Priscilla Slade became a witness Friday, KPRC Local 2 reported.
Slade's defense attorney, Mike DeGeurin, said Donna Goode leaked information to reporters about a pre-trial plea deal.
"I consider (that) to be an outrageous violation of ethics and law," DeGeurin said.
DeGeurin denied that any plea offer had been offered to Slade.
Goode told the court that she mentioned the plea, which included a minimum 25-year sentence, to someone who is not a journalist. That is when she said a newspaper reporter and several television reporters overheard her conversation.
Goode testified that she told reporters that the information was off the record.
Still, legal experts said they do not think leaked information about a plea deal is all that harmful to the case, even though it was widely reported.
"The defendant turned it down. So, even if a juror may have stumbled across that information how does that taint the defendant's opportunity for a fair trial?" said Geoffrey Corn, an assistant professor of law at the South Texas College of Law.
Slade has been accused of misspending more than $500,000 in TSU funds to decorate her homes.
If convicted she could face a range of sentences from probation to life in prison.
DeGeurin said Slade felt like she was "kicked in the stomach" when she heard about the leak.
Goode said she just was not aware of the media's rules.
"The prosecutor believed the comment was off the record and the news reporter said, 'I'm doing my job. Nothing's off the record,'" Corn said.
Goode said she also spoke directly with Local 2 reporter Mary Benton about the plea offer.
But KPRC Local 2 legal expert Brian Wice said the trial will likely continue.
"I think if judge Thomas asks the jury whether or not they've been exposed to anything of this kind, and gets their assurance that they haven't, I think that's probably as far as this is going to go," Wice said.
None of the reporters who were subpoenaed took the stand Friday. They have been asked not to speak about the hearing, which will resume on Monday.
Goode said she had no intention of making the plea deal information public. She said she would be more careful in the future.
Previous Stories: - September 28, 2007: Slade's Attorney Asks For Mistrial
- September 24, 2007: Jury Could Soon Decide Slade's Fate
- September 22, 2007: Scandals Affect Drop In TSU Enrollment
- September 14, 2007: TSU Employee Oversaw Slade's Landscaping
- September 10, 2007: Slade's Assistant Testifies About Lavish Perks
- September 7, 2007: Banker: Slade Said TSU Paid For Groceries, Services
- September 4, 2007: Attorneys Argue During Former TSU President's Trial
- August 24, 2007: Prosecutor: Former TSU President Had Wasteful Sprees
- August 20, 2007: Trial Begins For Ex-TSU President Accused Of Misspending
- August 6, 2007: Former TSU President's Request To Move Trial Denied
- July 20, 2007: Judge Denies Former TSU Official New Trial
- July 11, 2007: Former TSU President Wants Trial Moved
- May 8, 2007: Jury Decides Fate Of Former TSU Official
- May 7, 2007: Former TSU Official Does Not Testify At Trial
- May 3, 2007: Verdict Reached In Former TSU Official's Trial
- May 2, 2007: Jury Deliberates In Former TSU Official's Trial
- March 5, 2007: Former TSU President's Home For Sale Again
- August 2, 2006: Former TSU President Posts Bond
- August 1, 2006: Former TSU President Indicted
- June 7, 2006: Slade No-Show At Her TSU Termination Hearing
- May 19, 2006: Search Warrant Executed At TSU President's Home
- May 5, 2006: TSU Embattled President's Home Goes On Market
- April 18, 2006: TSU's Slade To Appeal Firing
- April 17, 2006: Regents Vote To Fire Texas Southern President
- April 14, 2006: Slade's Future Could Be Decided In Emergency Meeting
- March 29, 2006: TSU Selects Interim President
- March 17, 2006: Embattled TSU President To Take Paid Leave
- March 15, 2006: Emergency Meeting To Determine Slade's Future
- February 4, 2006: TSU Regents Keep President Slade
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