Let's see if The Enron Kid gets away with this.
February 20, 2004
Defense lawyers say former Enron Corp. Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling will try to delay his trial, move it as far as possible from Houston and then try to convince jurors the prosecution's star witness, former Enron finance chief Andrew Fastow, is an outrageous liar.
Skilling, who was charged Thursday with 35 counts of fraud, insider trading and other crimes, faces up to 325 years in prison and fines totaling more than $80 million if convicted on all counts. He also faces more than $60 million in fines stemming from a civil suit filed Thursday by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Attorneys say he faces major obstacles in the case but that there are legal tactics that can give him a better chance of acquittal, or at least a hung jury.
The first is to put off the trial as long as possible. Lawyers say a lengthy delay is probable because the case is complex.
"I don't see this case coming to trial anytime soon," said Neal Sonnett, a former federal prosecutor and former president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
While he awaits trial, some of the attention focused on Skilling will diminish, Sonnett said.
Skilling's lawyers also are likely to ask for a change of venue out of Houston, where thousands of people lost their jobs and life savings when the energy company collapsed.