Judge Refuses Mistrial Request, Orders Jury to Keep Deliberating in White Bribery Case
A federal judge denied the defense's motion for a mistrial and instructed the deadlocked jury in Trayon White's bribery trial to continue deliberations.
In a federal courtroom in Washington, D.C., a jury that has been deliberating for three days on councilman Trayon White's bribery charges remains deadlocked after 15 hours of discussion. The defense sought a mistrial, arguing the process had become untenable, but Judge Rudolph Contreras refused and ordered the jurors to resume their deliberations. White, who represents Ward 8, is accused of taking a $35,000 payment from Allieu Kamara, a cooperating businessman, to sway the award of $5.2 million in violence-intervention contracts.
While White acknowledges receiving the cash, his attorneys argue it was not a bribe because he never intended to use his office to secure the contracts. The case stems from White's August 2024 FBI arrest at the Navy Yard, and a mistrial could be declared later if the jury cannot reach a unanimous decision, allowing prosecutors to decide on a retrial. Conviction could carry a sentence of up to 15 years.
