Jurors could hear closing argument as soon as Friday in the corruption retrial of former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, depending on whether or not Baca chooses to testify in his own defense.
Baca, 74, faces felony charges of obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements.
A jury deadlocked in Baca's first trial in December on the obstruction of justice and conspiracy counts 11 to 1 in favor of acquittal.
Prosecutors say Baca directed a scheme in 2011 to try to interfere with a federal grand jury investigation of civil rights abuses of inmates inside L.A. County jails, then lied when he was questioned about the scheme in 2013.
Baca's defense claims former undersheriff Paul Tanaka went, "too far," and broke the law, while Baca was innocently trying to understand the scope of the federal probe of the jails.
Tanaka is serving a five year prison term in Colorado for his role in the scheme.
-- Eric Leonard (@LeonardFiles)