Experts say odds against Cellini mistrial

Legal observers say new information about a juror at the trial of a recently convicted Illinois powerbroker won't necessarily mean a judge will agree to declare a mistrial.

William Cellini's attorney told The Associated Press on Friday that he'll ask a judge to overturn the verdicts based on that information.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the juror failed to disclose two felony convictions during jury selection. One was for crack-cocaine possession and the other for aggravated driving under the influence without a driver's license.

But former prosecutor Phil Turner says such situations aren't uncommon and that federal judges rarely overturn convictions solely because jurors lied about criminal records.

He says if judges believe the trial overall was fair and the evidence overwhelming, they'll conclude a juror's lie doesn't matter.