High placed legal sources have revealed that the Attorney General's Office is considering issuing a nolle prosequi in the case of former Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Senator Pleasant Bridgewater and former ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne.
A nolle prosequi is issued when a plaintiff or prosecutor decides that he or she will not proceed further with a lawsuit or action.
Bridgwater and Lightbourne are accused of conspiring and attempting to extort $25 million from Hollywood actor John Travolta following the death of his son, Jett.
Bridgewater is also charged with abetment.
Sixteen-year-old Jett suffered a seizure and died at his family’s Grand Bahama vacation home in January 2009.
The Bahama Journal understands that the move is reportedly being taken due to the fact that Travolta is reluctant to reappear as a prosecution witness.
The movie star testified during the second week of the original trial.
At the time, he told the court he performed CPR on his son after a nanny alerted him that the teen had fallen.
Travolta also later admitted that Jett was autistic and suffered from a seizure disorder.
But that trial ended in a mistrial following PLP MP Picewell Forbes’ premature and incorrect outburst at his party’s convention last October.
During the convention Mr. Forbes claimed Bridgewater was a "free woman." The problem is, the jury was still deliberating when he made the announcement.
Senior Supreme Court Justice Anita Allen immediately declared a mistrial.
Travolta had hoped that the retrial would have taken place in the United States.
The new trial is slated to begin in New Providence next month.
In the event, a nolle prosequi is issued, the high profile case would be dropped, freeing both the accused.
Meantime, according to an online US magazine, in the wake of his son’s death, Travolta has said it has not been easy to readjust to life, but that he, his wife Kelly and daughter Ella Bleu are trying to move forward with the help of counseling sessions, friends and family.
He and his actress wife are expecting a child.
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