This Just In: Mistrial for Priscilla Slade

After deliberating for five straight days, jurors in the trial of former Texas Southern University president Priscilla Slade just could not come to a decision. So, on Friday afternoon the judge granted the defense a mistrial

For three days in a row, the jury wrote in notes to the court that they were hopelessly deadlocked. On Wednesday, the vote was 8-4, on Thursday it was 7-5, and hours before the judge granted the mistrial, the vote was 6-6.

After the decision was given and the courtroom had cleared, Slade and several female friends huddled close together and prayed.

Slade was accused of spending more than $500,000 of TSU’s money to pay for personal expenses. Her attorney, Mike DeGeurin, argued all along that all of Slade’s spending was done to boost the image and status of the cash-poor university and to lure donors. – Chris Vogel