For his part, the prosecution's chief witness, Workman's chief administrative officer David Marshall, made a second trip to the witness stand Wednesday and said "we followed the rules."

Throughout the six-day trial, Workman's attorneys have argued that a miscommunication occurred when Workman told Marshall about what the employees would be doing. Thus began "a series of miscommunications," Morgan said, with concerns expressed about the arrangement reaching Marshall but never reaching the mayor.

"David Marshall didn't listen, and he didn't follow up," Morgan said. "He didn't step up to the plate. He didn't take responsibility."

Martinez pooh-poohed that argument.

"This is a case of misdirection," he said. "Everybody's to blame but the mayor."

Workman's attorneys pointed out that Marshall had told several people last summer that the hiring arrangement was not illegal.

"David's point was that this was a process error," Dayton said. But then, when Workman in an early fall press conference blamed her subordinates for the matter, Morgan said Marshall changed his tune.

"You heard it from his own mouth," Morgan said. "He got angry. David Marshall changed 180 degrees."

Alina Iorga, the first employee hired by Workman, also testified Wednesday.

Unless they wind up as a hung jury, jurors are expected to return a verdict today.

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E-mail: aedwards@desnews.com