Bell council members guilty of corruption Here is live coverage of the Bell corruption trial verdicts. The Times will update the verdicts as they are read: Oscar Hernandez, Luis Artiga, Victor Bello, George Cole, Teresa Jacobo and George Mirabal were arrested in September 2010 in a far-ranging municipal corruption case in which prosecutors allege that money from the city's modest general fund flowed free to top officials. 12:35 p.m.: At a press conference after his acquittal, Artiga said, "First and foremost, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for setting me free of these false accusations. I had said from the beginning that the truth will set me free and we know that Jesus said, 'I am the Truth and the Life.' Artiga thanked his family and church for standing by him despite "adverse" conditions. Photos: Arrests of top officials in Bell are made 12:28 p.m.: Artiga, the only of the six defendants who was acquitted on all charges, was released by the judge. "Mr Artiga has been exonerated on all charges," Kennedy said. Good health to you. 12:25 p.m.: The jury told the judge that it was 9-3 on the remaining counts, but did not indicate whether they were leaning guilty or not guilty. Several jurors said they did not believe there was anything else that could be done to help them reach a verdict. But four jurors said they could use additional information about state laws. "As much as I hate to do this, I think the court needs to inquire further," Judge Kathleen Kennedy said. I know you thought this was going to be the end and I was going to be releasing you. Kennedy ordered the jury to take a lunch break. They will return at 2 p.m. 12:20 p.m.: "I feel there's some justice," said Alfred Areyan, a Bell resident in the courtroom. 12:15 p.m.: The jury said it was unable to reach a verdict on multiple counts. The judge is questioning the jurors to determine how many verdict votes they took and whether there was any change in the vote count. 12:10 p.m.: Luis Artiga was acquitted on all counts. He faced 12 counts of misappropriation of public funds related to payment for services on several boards between Jan. 1, 2008 and July 26, 2010. Artiga, a pastor in Bell, was appointed to the City Council long after salaries for council members had been boosted, a point his attorney underscored in closing arguments. The special allegations that he took property exceeding $65,000 and $100,000 were also found to be not true. He wiped away tears as the court clerk read the verdicts. 12:05 p.m.: The verdict was mixed for Victor Bello. He was found guilty of four counts of misappropriation of funds relating to the Solid Waste and Recycling Authority between Jan. 1, 2006 and Dec. 31, 2009. He was found not guilty of four counts of misappropriation of funds relating to payment for services as a member of the Public Finance Authority during the same time period.