Former Bahamas senator Pleasant Bridgewater and paramedic Tarino Lightbourne were facing charges of conspiracy to extort $25 million (£17.2 million) from the actor and his wife Kelly Preston after their 16-year-old son Jett suffered a fatal seizure at the family’s holiday home there in January (09).
The allegations centred around a Refusal of Treatment/Transportation form, signed by Travolta, which the pair allegedly threatened to release to the media.
But the trial collapsed on Wednesday (21Oct09) – Senior Justice Anita Allen declared a mistrial after a jury member reportedly leaked a verdict to politicians. Jurors were still deliberating when lawmaker Picewell Forbes allegedly announced to an audience at a Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) convention that Bridgewater was “a free woman.”
Alex Storr, a PLP official, claimed Forbes had misspoken and apologised on behalf of the party, but Justice Allen decided to err on the side of caution by declaring a mistrial.
Now Travolta, who testified during the hearings, will have to take to the stand again as the case goes back to court.
Justice Allen ordered a retrial late on Wednesday night.
The star’s attorney, Michael Ossi, insists his client will fully cooperate with future proceedings and will testify again if necessary.
He says, “We are committed to seeing this through, and we are committed to seeing justice served. And whatever the prosecution asks us to do is exactly what we will do.”
