Jury finds Stevens guilty on corruption charges
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A jury found U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska guilty Monday of all seven counts in his federal corruption trial.
The jury found Stevens guilty of "knowingly and willfully" scheming to conceal on Senate disclosure forms more than $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts from an Alaska-based oil industry contractor.
Stevens faces a maximum sentence of up to to 35 years in prison -- five years for each of the seven counts.
Legal experts note the judge has the discretion to give Stevens as little as no jail time and probation when he is sentenced.
He sat expressionless as the seven verdicts were read out at the end of his trial, less than a day after the jury began deliberations from scratch because of a change in jurors.
After the second guilty verdict was read, Stevens' lead defense attorney, Brendan Sullivan, patted his back, leaving his hand there.
As Stevens left the defense area, he and his wife exchanged a kiss on the cheek. Stevens said: "It's not over yet." Stevens' defense team said they will move for a new trial.
The 84-year-old senator is locked in a tight race for re-election against his Democratic challenger, Mark Begich. Stevens hopes to retain the seat he has held since 1968.
A poll by Ivan Moore Research conducted October 17-19 found Begich slightly leading the race 46-45, within the poll's margin of error of plus-or-minus 4.4 percentage points.
The longest-serving Republican senator in history, Stevens becomes the first senator to be convicted of a felony since 1981.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/27/stevens.jurors/index.html