The jury hearing the bribery and corruption case against Sen. Malcolm Smith will decide whether to declare a mistrial. Judge Kenneth Karas, the federal judge overseeing the case, decided the jury should determinewhether it can stay the extra weeks it may take to translate 28 hours of secretly recorded conversations from Yiddish, which prosecutors only recently admitted existed. If the jury declares a mistrial, the case will be presented anew, to a new jury. Smith is accused of conspiring to bribe Republican officials to secure their ballot line for New York City mayor in the 2013 election. Former Councilman Dan Halloran and Staten Island Republican Chairman Vincent Tambone are also charged in the case.
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