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Mistrial Declared in John Travolta Extortion Case

Originally posted 10/22/2009 07:00AM

After nearly four weeks in a courtroom, a Bahamian judge declared a surprise mistrial late Wednesday in the John Travolta extortion trial, leaving the actor and his attorneys mystified and upset.

Senior Supreme Court Judge Anita Allen declared a mistrial because of juror misconduct following an announcement from a local politician that one of the defendants had been acquitted – before the jurors came back with their verdict. Allen ordered a retrial, but did it remains unclear when, if ever, the case will be retried.

"This came out of the clear blue; this was so weird," Mike Ossi, one of Travolta’s Florida lawyers told PEOPLE.

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