
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 11, 1990                   TAG: 9004110328
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C.                                LENGTH: Short

JUDGE DROPS CHARGES AGAINST EX-PTL PASTOR

A federal judge dismissed perjury charges Tuesday against the Rev. Sam Johnson, the former PTL pastor accused of lying to a grand jury investigating ministry founder Jim Bakker.

"I think I'm afraid if I let [the case] go to the jury I would cause this defendant to have to go through the appeals process," U.S. District Judge Robert Potter said.

Earlier in the day, a former PTL executive testified that Johnson used church offerings to provide $10,000 for church secretary Jessica Hahn.

Johnson, who told a grand jury he didn't know where the money originated, was charged with committing perjury 12 times.

- Associated Press

by CNB