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Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Prosecution rests; closings set for Wednesday
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The government closed out its prosecution of former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell shortly after noon today.
Judge Richard Story released the jury and told members to return at noon Wednesday to hear closing arguments in the federal corruption case, in its seventh week.
Story told prosecution and defense lawyers they have two and a half hours each for their closing arguments.
He told jurors, allowing for breaks, they will be in the courtroom past 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
Story said he would give the jury its charge — explain to them what they must decide — at 9 a.m. Thursday morning, then give them the case for deliberation.
Campbell, who did not testify in the case, is accused of bribery, racketeering and tax fraud in a seven-count indictment. He has pleaded not guilty
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Rebuttal witness refutes defense testimony
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After Bill Campbell’s defense team rested today, prosecutors began calling rebuttal witnesses, including Mayor Shirley Franklin’s chief of staff.
Greg Pridgeon, who also briefly served as chief of staff during Campbell’s last year as mayor, refuted testimony from a previous defense witness about multi-million dollar amendments made to a city contract just as Campbell was leaving office in December 2001. Prosecutors allege that Campbell signed the United Water documents – worth an estimated $80 million over the life of the contract – after United Water paid more than $12,000 for the mayor’s 1999 romantic trip to Paris with one of his alleged girlfriends.
Campbell has denied signing the documents.
Eunice Lockhart-Moss, Campbell’s special assistant, testified last week that Campbell refused to sign the United Water documents. She told jurors that Campbell’s chief operating officer, DeWayne Martin, snatched the United Water documents while she was showing them to Pridgeon in December 2001 —- after Campbell had already vacated his City Hall office. Moss said Martin later implied that he signed the documents, forging the mayor’s signature.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Vineyard asked Pridgeon: “At any time did Dwayne Martin ever reach around you and take documents from your hands?” Pridgeon responded:
“No, he did not. I would remember such an incident because it would have been out of character and would have stood out in my mind.”
Campbell is charged with soliciting thousands of dollars in bribes from contractors, including United Water, and using the cash for gambling trips with buddies and romantic getaways with alleged girlfriends. Campbell has publicly maintained his innocence on charges of bribery, racketeering and tax fraud.
He opted not to testify and the defense rested its case this morning, in the seventh week of the federal public corruption trial.
Prosecutors are still presenting rebuttal witnesses.
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Rebuttal witnesses to be called today
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The prosecution is calling rebuttal witnesses today and both sides plan to deliver their closing arguements to the jury Thursday in the federal corruption trial of former Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell.
Prosectors declined to say what or how many witness they will bring to the stand today to refute defense witness who have testified over the last five days. In all more than 80 witness have testified in the trial, in its seventh week.
Campbell is charged with racketeering, taking bribes and tax evasion.
On Monday the former mayor — who has often publicly declared he wants to testify in his own defense — said he had decided not to because prosecutors would not agree not to ask him about his personal life, that their case so far has not been about corruption, but rather character assassination.
U.S. Attorney David Nahmias issued a statement saying the government will not “make special exceptions for this defendent. All our questions would be relevant to the alleged criminal offenses.”
The prosecution maintains that the former mayor’s crimes are inseperable from his personal life. He took trips with women and gambled with cash the government claims sometimes was bribe money from city contractors.
The jury is expected to get the case either late Thursday, or Friday morning.
Permalink | | Categories: Bill Campbell trial
