Thursday, February 1, 2007
© Copyright 2013
Gwinnett Daily Post
ATLANTA - A former Coca-Cola secretary was deeply in debt, unhappy in her job and seeking a big payday, so she conspired to steal trade secrets from the beverage giant in an effort to sell them to rival Pepsi, a prosecutor said Wednesday during closing arguments in the woman's trial.
But Joya Williams' lawyer asked jurors to use their common sense and ask themselves if the government has proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. ''They have absolutely, 100 percent failed to meet that burden,'' Janice Singer said during her closing argument. Jurors deliberated Williams' fate for about 31⁄2 hours Wednesday afternoon before being sent home for the day without reaching a verdict. Deliberations were to resume Thursday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Byung J. Pak said Wednesday that the case against Williams is about cash, ongoing access to documents, lies and acts in furtherance of the crime. He put the words on a screen for the jury, using the first letter of each of the four categories to spell ''C-O-L-A.'' ''This case is about desperate times calling for desperate criminal measures,'' Pak said.More like this story
- Jury in trial of former Coca-Cola secretary says it's 'hung' ( February 2, 2007 )
- Jury finds former secretary guilty in Coke case ( February 3, 2007 )
- Jury selected in Coca-Cola trade secrets theft trial ( January 18, 2007 )
- Friend denies he gave $4,000 to Coke trade secrets suspect ( January 31, 2007 )
- Prosecutors: Seal evidence in Coca-Cola trial ( January 5, 2007 )
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