Jury Begins Deliberations in Trial of Dallas County Leader

(AP) — Jurors have begun deliberating in the corruption trial of longtime Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price.

The deliberations began Wednesday after the jury a day earlier listened to closing arguments that capped eight weeks of testimony in the federal trial.

Price is charged with mail fraud, conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and filing a fraudulent income tax return.

The longtime political leader and civic activist would spend decades in prison if convicted of all 11 counts against him.

Price was portrayed on the one hand as a hardworking public servant who helped his close friends in need, and on the other as a greedy man who enriched himself by selling his vote.

Three others earlier were convicted of charges related to the Price corruption probe.