Broadcom jurors dubious

Former CFO William Ruehle was probably headed towards an acquittal even if a federal judge hadn't dismissed charges connected with backdating stock options. Backdating occurs when a company changes the grant date, usually to a day when the stock was at a low price, so that the recipient can receive a greater return. "Do I believe backdating happened? Definitely. Do I think it was a crime? I'm not sure,'' juror Henry Weiland tells the OC Register. He wasn't alone - a number of jurors interviewed expressed doubts about the government's case. That's been the challenge in any number of backdating cases: Proving to a jury that a crime has been committed.

Mike Eubank, a La Habra resident who works for UPS, said he felt the government's case was weak once he learned prosecutors were trying to influence witnesses, including Broadcom co-founder Henry Samueli. "Samueli had testified that he felt strong-armed by the government ... I felt that's what the government was trying to do, strong-arm people to get a conviction,'' he said. "I really thought there was going to be a mistrial declared."