WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Bill Allen won't be testifying today after all in Sen. Ted Stevens' disclosure trial. On Friday, the government ran out of witnesses because the trial had been running faster than expected.
After being scolded by the judge for keeping the jury waiting, prosecutors announced that Allen, its chief witness and the former chief executive of Veco Corp., would open the day Monday. Allen was in town, and his lawyer, Bob Bundy of Anchorage, had been a regular presence in the back of the courtroom -- even for pretrial matters before the case opened on Thursday.
But on Saturday, the government revised its witness list, putting Allen back at least until Tuesday and probably later. He's replaced with a list of 14 other witnesses, including Courtney Boone, Stevens' former spokeswoman, and several former Veco employees.
Prosecutors may be seeking resolution of their efforts to limit the kinds of questions that Stevens' attorneys can ask in cross-examining Allen. In particular, they want to prevent questions about Bambi Tyree, who, as a 14- or 15-year-old, told friends she had sex with Allen. She is now 27 and is listed as a potential defense witness.
The defense says Stevens' right to confront the witnesses against him includes exploring whether Allen believed he wouldn't be prosecuted over Tyree if he agreed to plead guilty to federal public corruption charges and testify against Stevens and others.
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