WASHINGTON (AP) A jury that acquitted a Somali man of piracy charges has been unable to reach a verdict on two hostage-taking charges.
U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Huvelle declared a mistrial Thursday for the hostage charges in the case of Ali Mohamed Ali. The acquittal on the more serious piracy charges remains intact, meaning prosecutors can only attempt to retry Ali on hostage-taking and conspiracy to commit hostage-taking.
Jurors began deliberating in the case Nov. 20, and acquitted Ali of piracy on Nov. 26. But they said at the time they were deadlocked on the other charges and have remained so more than two weeks later.
Ali negotiated a ransom for Somali pirates during a 2008 pirate takeover of a Danish merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden.
