State treasurer's chief of staff leaves defamation trial with chest pains

State Treasurer Dennis Milligan's chief of staff, who is a defendant in a federal defamation trial, was taken away from the courthouse Thursday morning after complaining of chest pains.

Jim Harris has been on trial since Monday in a civil case in which he is accused of maliciously distributing to reporters an internal email he wrote questioning the sanity of a treasury employee, David Singer. The email was distributed after Singer was fired April 27, 2015, and reporters requested information about the firing.

Harris, who has a history of heart problems, was coherent and talking as he was taken away by paramedics.

Minutes later in the courtroom, as attorneys discussed with Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Miller whether he should grant a mistrial or how the case should proceed in light of the emergency, which jurors witnessed, Singer’s attorney Luther Sutter said: “The bet is there is nothing wrong with the man. .. I can virtually assure you that Mr. Harris will be fine tomorrow.”

Miller told Sutter, “That was the most despicable thing I’ve heard from a lawyer,” and recessed the trial until 9 a.m. Friday.

Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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