OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR REGION.

>> ERIC: IN THE NEXT HOUR, WE WILL CHECK IN ON THE STUNNING CHANGES AT THE TOP OF PWHL MINNESOTA.

MARK DEPAOLIS HAS AN ESSAY FOR US.

AND WE'LL HIGHLIGHT A CONCERT ANCHORED BY NATIVE COMPOSERS.

CATHY HAS THE NIGHT OFF.

MARY LAHAMMER IS HERE... "E".

WE START TONIGHT WITH VERDICTS IN THE FEEDING OUR FUTURE TRIAL.

ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, THE JURY DELIVERED SPLIT DECISIONS, CONVICTING FIVE DEFENDANTS OF SOME CHARGES AND FINDING TWO NOT GUILTY WHO WERE THEN RELEASED FROM CUSTODY.

AMONG THE CHARGES IN THE NATION'S LARGEST PANDEMIC FRAUD CASE WERE WIRE FRAUD, MONEY LAUNDERING, AND BRIBERY.

DEENA WINTER OF THE "MINNESOTA REFORMER" HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE CASE CLOSELY.

GREAT REPORTING, WE'VE ALL BEEN WATCHING YOU VERY CLOSELY.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS DECISION.

REALLY INTERESTING WHEN A SPLIT VERDICT COMES OUT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK PARTICULARLY ON THE TWO NOT GUILTY?

WHAT WAS THE SESSION OF THEIR DEFENSE?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, SAYID FARAH HAS AN ATTORNEY, STEVE SCHLEISSER WHO MAY REMEMBER FROM DEREK CHAUVIN'S TRIAL, MAGNIFICENT LAWYER.

AND I THINK HE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF REALLY QUESTIONING WHY THE INVESTIGATORS DIDN'T GO TO CERTAIN LOCATIONS AND CHECK TO SEE, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN WARE HOESSTS, IF THERE WAS FOOD THERE AND SO ON.

AND JUST WOULD GO, YOU KNOW, DID YOU GO TO THIS SITE?

NO.

DID OU GO TO THIS SITE.

CROSS THEM OFF ON A BOARD.

AND THESE TWO WERE NOT ACCUSED OF SUBMITTING FALSE VUES OR FAKE MEAL COUNTS.

SO I THINK THAT PROBABLY HELPED THEM.

>> Eric: TELL US ABOUT THE BRIBING THE JUROR.

>> WELL, THAT WAS PRETTY CRAZY.

ON MONDAY MORNING, YOU KNOW, WE SHOW UP IN COURT THINKING THAT THE PROSECUTOR IS GOING TO WRAP UP HIS OPENING ARGUMENTS AND THE LAST OF THE SEVEN DEFENSE ATTORNEYS WOULD DO THEIR CLOSING ARGUMENTS AND INSTEAD THE PROSECUTOR JUST STARTED INFORMING THE JUDGE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE NIGHT BEFORE, SOMEONE DROPPED OFF ABOUT AKING CONTAINING $120,000 IN CASH AT A JUROR'S HOUSE.

>> Eric: WHO LEAKED THE NAME OF THE JUROR?

>> WE DON'T KNOW ET.

YOU KNOW, ALL THE ATTORNEYS IN THE ROOM AND THE DEFENSE AND DEFENDANTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE JURORS' NAMES AT CERTAINLY POINTS.

BUT I BELIEVE THERE ARE -- I CERTAINLY KNOW THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO GET THE NAMES OF JURORS BECAUSE I'VE HAD -- I HAD TO TRY TO FIGURE THEM OUT FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL WHEN WE COVERED THE DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL.

>> Mary: TALKING ABOUT THE JURY, AND ALSO WHEN IT'S ABLE TO CHARGE ON SOME AND THEN NOT THE OTHERS.

IT'S NOT LIKE THEY JUST WENT EVERYBODY'S GUILTY, NORTHBOUND'S INNOCENT.

DOES THIS STRIKE YOU THEN AS A THOUGHTFUL JURY THAT REALLY TOOK A LOT OF COMPLEX INSTRUCTIONS?

>> YEAH, MEAN, THERE WERE 41 CHARGES THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH FOR SEVEN DEFENDANTS.

AND THROUGHOUT THE TRIAL, THE JUDGE AND SOME OF THE LAWYERS WOULD COMMENTED ON HOW THIS JURY WAS REALLY PAYING ATTENTION, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A ERY LONG TRIAL, TAKING NOTES AND VERY DUTIFUL.

AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT IT TOOK THEM FOUR DAYS AND WENT THROUGH ALL THOSE CHARGES ONE BY ONE AND DECIDED ON EACH ONE SHOWS THEY REALLY TOOK THE TIME TO GO THROUGH EVERY CHARGE LIKE THEY SHOULD.

>> Mary: I'M HEARING SOME INTEREST IN MAYBE FOR THE FUTURE, BECAUSE THERE'S MORE CASES COMING, THAT THE JURORS' INFORMATION CAN REMAIN PRIVATE BECAUSE OF THIS ATTEMPT AT BRIBERY.

ARE YOU HEARING MORE INTEREST IN THAT?

>> I HAVE HAVEN'T HEARD THAT.

I'M NOT SURE, LIKE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN IN FEDERAL COURT.

YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULDN'T -- MAYBE IT'S UP TO THE JUDGE, THOUGH.

I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE.

>> Eric: ACCORDING TO YOUR REPORTING, THE DEFENSE PLAYED -- SAID THAT SOMALI EAST AFRICAN CULTURE IS DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS.

OBVIOUSLY THAT DIDN'T PLAY WELL WITH THE JURY OR NOT ENOUGH?

>> YEAH, I MEAN THERE, WAS A DEFENSE WITNESS THAT TALKED ABOUT THAT, BUT HE DIDN'T -- HE ALSO SAID HE DID NOT LOOK AT EVIDENCE IN THE TRIAL.

AND HE REALLY COULDN'T SPEAK TO THAT.

HE WAS MORE JUST TALKING IN GENERAL.

THEY DO DO THINGS VERY DIFFERENTLY THAN WE'RE USED TO MAYBE IN AMERICA.

BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT RANG, YOU KNOW, AS A DEFENSE.

>> Eric: NEXT STEPS?

>> WELL -- >> Eric: SENTENCING?

>> THAT'LL BE COMING.

BUT THEY'RE REALLY HOT ON THE TRAIL OF THE PERSON THAT TRIED TO BRIBE A JUROR.

AND SO I THINK THEY'RE -- FROM WHAT I HEAR, THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS.

AND EXPECT CHARGES COULD BE FILED AGAINST SOMEONE.

>> Mary: INTERESTING.

AND THEN 63 MORE DEFENDANTS STILL OUT THERE?

>> YES.

MINUS SEVEN.

NO, ACTUALLY, IT'S LESS THAN THAT, BECAUSE 18 PLEADED GUILTY AND ONE FLED THE COUNTRY.

SO I CAN'T DO THE MATH.

>> Mary: BUT MORE COMING.

MORE TRIALS COMING.

>> YES, MORE PEOPLE ARE CHARGED AND MORE TRIALS ARE DOWN THE PIKE.

SO -- BUT THIS COULD INSPIRE SOME PEOPLE TO MAYBE RETHINK WHETHER THEY WANT TO GO TO TRIAL OR NOT.

I MEAN, THE ODDS, TWO OUT OF SEVEN.

>> Eric: FOR THE STATE COMPONENT OF THIS, THE FFICE OF LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR HAS A REPORT COMING OUT I THINK ON WEDNESDAY.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THERE?

>> YEAH, THAT'LL BE REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THE STATE'S CULPABILITY HERE I THINK.

THEY DIDN'T GET INTO THAT AT THE TRIAL MUCH BECAUSE THAT WASN'T THE POINT.

BUT I CERTAINLY FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LOT MORE TO BE DONE ON THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT FRONT AS FAR AS HOW MUCH THE STATE DID OR DIDN'T DO AND DID THEY DO ENOUGH?

>> Eric: GREAT STUFF.

WE'LL KEEP WATCHING AND