A federal jury deliberated for a 15th day without a verdict Wednesday in the trial of fired HealthSouth Corp. Chief Executive Richard Scrushy, who is charged with leading a $2.7 billion earnings overstatement at the chain of rehabilitation and medical centers.
The panel, which previously reported being deadlocked on all 36 counts against Scrushy, worked behind closed doors without sending any messages to U.S. District Judge Karon Bowdre.
Scrushy is the first CEO charged under the Sarbanes-Oxley corporate reporting law. He also is accused of conspiracy, false reporting, fraud and money laundering.
Scrushy, 52, did not testify. His defense blamed the massive accounting fraud on former executives of Birmingham-based HealthSouth, including five one-time finance chiefs and 10 others who pleaded guilty.
