Juror Says Jury In Wecht Trial Split In Favor Of Conviction On 17 Counts

According to a letter written by a juror in the Dr. Cyril Wecht federal trial, the jury split 6-5 in favor of conviction on 17 of the 41 counts against the former Allegheny County coroner.

The juror wrote to prosecutors and encouraged them to push for a retrial, but now some U.S. lawmakers are wondering if Wecht should have ever been charged in the first place.

The 40-page report released on Thursday focuses on allegations of selective prosecution in the federal justice system. The report was written for a democratic congressman, and Wecht is a Democrat. U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan is a Republican.

The report states that Wecht has been an outspoken critic of Republicans. It also highlights news reports, indicating that Wecht believes partisan politics influenced how he was being prosecuted.

Wecht's lawyers said Buchanan was out to embarrass Wecht.

Buchanan said, "Politics played no role in the decision to investigate and prosecute, and neither politics or public opinion will guide the government."