AL Rep. Barry Moore found not guilty

(WTVM) - Alabama House District 91 representative Barry Moore has been found not guilty on all counts.

The jury wrapped up their deliberations shortly before 3:30 Thursday afternoon.

The prosecution claimed Moore, the defendant in this case, and his political ally, Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, threatened to kill an economic project if Moore's opponent in the primary, Josh Pipkin, did not step down.

The jury's not guilty verdicts elicited tears of joy and relief from Representative Barry Moore and his family.

"My daughter was a homecoming representative last week and as I walked her across the 50 yard line this black cloud was over my family, it's not there today," Moore said.

The Enterprise lawmaker faced up to 40 years in prison, after prosecutors with the Attorney General's office said he lied to a special grand jury when he testified he did not tell his political opponent he needed to get out of the race or House Speaker Mike Hubbard would withhold money to fund an economic project in their district.

The prosecution played secretly-recorded phone calls taped by Moore's opponent for jurors, but apparently this jury believed Moore when he testified he told the truth to the best of his ability.

"Evidence shows they had planned to record me and to extort me and the tapes showed that time and time again and I am grateful this jury understood what was going on," Moore said.

As Moore describes it, a black cloud has been lifted from his family; however, his political ally and friend Hubbard still faces 23 felony ethics violations after being indicted by the same special grand jury.

"Mike Hubbard still has to go through what you went through, what do you want to say to Mike Hubbard?" we asked Moore.

"I am so sorry that he has to endure this, this is tough on a family," Moore replied. "It's one of the reasons I think it's a deterrent for people to run for public office, it scares me."

Prosecutors for the Attorney General's office left immediately after the verdict, and we were not able to get their reaction to losing their case on all four counts.

We do expect they will release a statement via email soon.

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