Jury in Davidson trial excused for weekend

Jurors in the trial of real estate consultant Donald Davidson were unable to reach a verdict Friday.

U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt excused jurors and told them to return to the courthouse to continue deliberating on Monday morning. They've deliberated 24 hours so far.

Hunt initially leaned toward bringing the jury in today, but Davidson's attorney, Dominic Gentile, told Hunt that Davidson is Jewish and his Sabbath is on Saturday.

"Mr. Davidson and his family are Jewish people. Tonight and tomorrow is their Sabbath," Gentile said. "I've never run into this situation -- ever."

Hunt is scheduled to attend a judge's conference in Hawaii beginning Monday. Neither Gentile nor Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Schiess objected to U.S. District Court Judge Kent Dawson overseeing the reading of the verdict.

Dawson is presiding over the sentencing of former Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny.

Kenny's sentencing has been postponed twice because jurors have not returned a verdict in the Davidson case.

On Friday, Dawson rescheduled Kenny's sentencing hearing for 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Dawson said he does not want to sentence Kenny, who testified during the Davidson trial, until the jury announces its decision. Davidson is accused of paying Kenny $3,000 a month after she voted in favor of a controversial casino in the Spring Valley community in 2000. He is also charged with paying Kenny $200,000 for her vote in favor of a CVS Pharmacy on Buffalo Drive and Desert Inn Road.

Kenny faces a range of 36 months to 41 months in prison, but Dawson can consider a more lenient sentence if he finds that Kenny provided substantial assistance to the government in its case against Davidson and two of Kenny's former colleagues.

Kenny pleaded guilty in 2003 to accepting cash bribes from strip club owner Michael Galardi in exchange for registering votes in his favor.