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	Hosanna Jury Likely to Get Case Prosecution Expected to Rest Its Case Today By Debra Lemoine Advocate December 3, 2007 http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/suburban/12046416.html AMITE — A Tangipahoa Parish jury is likely to decide today whether Austin "Trey" Bernard III committed aggravated rape on two children, a 2-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy. The trial for Bernard is expected to resume at 10:30 a.m. today in the 21st Judicial District Court. Bernard, 39, of Hammond, is the first of the seven members of Ponchatoula's now-defunct Hosanna Church to go on trial on charges of sexually abusing children, who made their allegations in 2005. Since Wednesday, a jury of eight women and four men has listened to eight prosecution witnesses and at least six hours of taped interviews of children and Bernard's taped confessions to law enforcement authorities. They also read hundreds of pages of written confessions by Bernard and two children detailing the alleged abuse. The two young men, who are among the three children the state maintains were raped, also took the witness stand and recanted past statements of alleged abuse. The prosecution maintains that Bernard had a sexual relationship with the father of these young men, now ages 17 and 21, Assistant District Attorney Don Wall has said in court. During the course of the relationship, Bernard and the boys' father raped each other's children, Wall has said. They also let other adults in the church rape their children, Wall has said. The defense maintains that these accusations arise out of the dissolving marriages of the suspects, Assistant Public Defender Al Bensabat has said. Bernard's ex-wife coached their daughter, now age 7, to accuse Bernard of abuse to ensure sole custody of the child, Bensabat has said. The prosecution is expected to rest the state's case early today. Bensabat is expected to call at least three witnesses to the stand, including Bernard. State District Judge Doug Hughes told the jury Saturday he anticipates they will be receive the case sometime today. Contact: dlemoine@theadvocate.com
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