Jurors said in post-trial interviews that their verdict hinged more on the mayor's abuse of public trust than the dollar amount of the crime.
"It's not that it's 'just gift cards,' " said a juror who identified herself only by her first name, Shawana. The 23-year-old Highlandtown resident said she hoped that people would see a lesson in the conviction: "You can't just do what you want to do ... no matter how famous you are."
Juror Elaine Pollack, a 29-year-old Hampden resident, said, "The denomination doesn't matter. It's a trust issue."