John Travolta Extortion Case Ends

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Oct 22nd 2009 06:33AM

The trial of two people accused of trying to extort John Travolta following the death of his son in the Bahamas has ended in a mistrial after a lawmaker suggested the still-deliberating jury had acquitted one of the defendants. Senior Justice Anita Allen said she was reluctantly ordering a new trial "in the interest of justice" because the politician's statement, in a speech broadcast on television and radio, gave the appearance of an improper leak from the jury room. "The dilemma that we face is great," Allen told the court. "I am erring on the side of caution. Justice must be transparent."

Ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne and his attorney, politician Pleasant Bridgewater, were accused of threatening to release private information about the January death of Travolta's 16-year-old son Jett at the family vacation home in Grand Bahama.

Lightbourne, who was among the medics who treated Jett, allegedly sought $25 million from the actor with the assistance of Bridgewater, who resigned her seat in the Bahamas Senate after she was charged in the case.

Jurors were still deliberating when lawmaker Picewell Forbes told an audience at a Progressive Liberal Party convention that Bridgewater was "a free woman." He did not go into details.

Immediately afterward, Alex Storr, the party's deputy chairman-elect, said Forbes had misspoken. He said the information was incorrect and no verdict had been issued. He apologized on behalf of the party.

But the judge said that Forbes' comment gave her no choice but to dismiss the jurors. She did not set a new trial date.

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Travolta in Bahamas

John Travolta and Kelly Preston leave the court building in Nassau, Bahamas, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. Travolta testified against two people accused of trying to blackmail him with private information regarding his son's death.

John Travolta Photos

File - U.S. actor John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston leave the court building in Nassau, Bahamas, in this Sept. 23, 2009 file photo. The trial of two people accused of trying to extort John Travolta following the death of his son in the Bahamas has ended Wednesday Oct. 21, 2009 in a mistrial after a lawmaker suggested the still-deliberating jury had acquitted one of the defendants. (AP Photo/Kris Ingraham, File)

U.S. actor John Travolta, right, and his wife Kelly Preston leave the court building in Nassau, Bahamas, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. Travolta testified Wednesday that Bahamas paramedic Tarino Lightbourne, who is now on trial for extortion, threatened to sell stories to the news media suggesting the movie star was at fault in the death of his 16-year-old son, demanding $25 million. (AP Photo/Hendricks McIntosh)

US actor John Travolta, left, and his wife Kelly Preston leave the court building in Nassau, Bahamas, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. Travolta said Wednesday he tried desperately to save the life of his seizure-prone son as he testified in the trial of two people accused of trying to blackmail him. (AP Photo/Tim Aylen)

US actor John Travolta, left, and wife Kelly Preston leave the court building in Nassau, Bahamas, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. Travolta said Wednesday he tried desperately to save the life of his seizure-prone son as he testified in the trial of two people accused of trying to blackmail him. (AP Photo/Tim Aylen)

U.S. actor John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston leave the court building in Nassau, Bahamas, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. Travolta described the moments before his son's death in the Bahamas as he testified Wednesday against two people accused of trying to blackmail him with private information about the rescue effort. (AP Photo/Kris Ingraham)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

U.S. actor John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston, obscured, arrive to the court building in Nassau, Bahamas, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. Travolta described the moments before his son's death in the Bahamas as he testified Wednesday against two people accused of trying to blackmail him with private information about the rescue effort. (AP Photo/Tim Aylen)

The jury, which deliberated about nine hours, had spent a month listening to testimony including from Travolta, who flew to the Bahamas to take the stand. Michael Ossi, one of the actor's attorneys, said his client would cooperate in any way possible and testify again if necessary.

"We are committed to seeing this through, and we are committed to seeing justice served," Ossi said. "And whatever the prosecution asks us to do is exactly what we will do."

Howard Butler, a Florida-based lawyer for Travolta, referred further questions to a publicist who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In closing statements, lawyers for the defendants, who denied the allegations, told the nine-member jury that their clients were set up by lawyers for Travolta. They also said authorities misinterpreted their actions.

The alleged plot centered on a document that would have released emergency responders from liability if the family refused an ambulance ride to the hospital for Jett, who suffered a deadly seizure at a family vacation home on Grand Bahama island on Jan. 2.

Travolta said he signed the waiver because he initially wanted his autistic son flown directly to Florida for treatment. But he later changed his mind, and the document did not come into play.

The actor testified that Lightbourne threatened to sell stories to the media suggesting that he was at fault in his son's death.

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Tags: John Travolta, JohnTravolta, Kelly Preston, KellyPreston

Comments

(15)

Thursday 22 October

By Diana

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I am glad this part is over for this couple. They have been through more than anyone should ever go through.

By Brendan

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Yeah, letting your kid die because you're a loon for an alien religion really takes a toll.

By Deb

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You obviously didnt read the article. It's not over - they are going to have to have another trial.

By Carol

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My heart goes out to you and your family. No parent should know the death of their child, and to go through this trial, has to make things so much harder for you. Thoughts and prayers are with you!

By mikerat42

Why doesn't AOL keep it classy and block these annoying ads??
I see one of these and I leave the site.. Less clicks for AOL

By k griffis

i thin it is sick to have to go through what the travoltas are having to go hrough just because of greed. its so hard to lose a kid. im glad its over so dont give these idiots your money and keep moving forward. my prayers are with all the family.

By netty

everyone boycott the stupid bahamas. they are garbage. the prime minister having an affair with anna nicole and now this with john travolta. americans stay away from the bahamas they dont deserve our money. has anyone ever been there? well you know they are rude cold idiots and dont deserve the revenue we bring them.

By Toni

Having been married to a Bahamian and living in the Bahamas, I know that there is no way they are going to convict a Bahamian with any wrongdoing towards an American, any American. They do not like us.

By bill

Kangaroo Court in a third world country where a senator - A SENATOR?!?!?! - is shaking down foreigners in an extortion plot? Yikes, I'm surprised they didn't somehow find Travolta guilty and award her money in the interests of "transparancy".

By Alix

I met Mr. Travolta during the filming of 'Primary Colors'. The man I met was genuine and a good hearted soul. He smiled, took pictures with fans, signed autographs and was a real gentleman.
Though no one should lose a child, my heart really goes out to him and his family because he deserved nothing like this.
I hope his family gets justice against these horrible people.

By wdavid

The Bahamas are a total rip off.Generally just before your ship pulls out they rob you, so when the police who are in on the theft tell you to come back the next day they know yopur going.

This whole thing is a mistrial deliberatly to generate money.Total sleaze bags.
The story from the beginning does not surprize me.Stay out of the Bahamas and Jamaica for that matter.

By RMT

"Ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne and his attorney, POLITICIAN Pleasant Bridgewater, were accused... Lightbourne, who was among the medics who treated Jett, allegedly sought $25 million from the actor with the assistance of Bridgewater, WHO RESIGNED HER SEAT IN THE Bahamas SENATE after she was charged in the case...Jurors were still deliberating when LAWMAKER Picewell Forbes told an audience at a Progressive Liberal Party convention that Bridgewater was "a free woman." He did not go into details."

My full comment (after I quoted the article) was that I believed the Bahamian politicians planned for the mistrial by having "lawmaker" Picewell Forbes make his comment(s). Simply put, they were covering for the a$$ of one of their own. Makes one wonder if there were other politicians involved in the extortion plot...

By David

This poor family! A good example of "bahamian justice". I hope they continue to pursue these little bastards!

By Kimberly Smith

Boycott the Bahamas, I say. They want our tourism dollars...and are not American-friendly in terms of justice. There are MANY other places we, as U.S. Citizens, can and should spend our travel money.

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