NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors on Tuesday urged a decide to reject U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez’s request to delay his bribery trial scheduled for subsequent spring by two months, till July.
Prosecutors argued in opposition to the postponement per week after protection legal professionals supplied a number of the reason why they are saying a trial of the Democrat and codefendants, together with his spouse, needs to be delayed.
The senator gave up his place as chair of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee after his September arrest.
Prosecutors stated the unique Might 6 trial date was applicable and drew no objections when it was introduced despite the fact that circumstances have been the identical.
“The schedule was and stays affordable, and in accord with the robust public curiosity in a speedy trial,” prosecutors wrote.
Protection legal professionals cited over 6.7 million paperwork to be reviewed, an “unprecedented” foreign-agent cost and sophisticated authorized inquiries to be addressed as they requested for a delay of a trial now scheduled for Might 6. They stated a two-month adjournment would nonetheless convey defendants to trial inside 10 months of their arrests.
4 defendants, together with Menendez, have pleaded not responsible to a bribery conspiracy cost that alleges that Menendez and his spouse accepted bribes of money, gold bars and a luxurious automobile from three New Jersey businessmen who needed the senator’s assist and affect over overseas affairs.
The senator, his spouse and a 3rd defendant have additionally pleaded not responsible to a cost that they conspired to make the most of the senator as an agent of the Egyptian authorities despite the fact that he was prohibited from doing in order a member of Congress.
In asking for a delay, protection legal professionals wrote, “Given the complexity of this case and the seriousness of the fees at concern, the pace with which this case is continuing is extraordinary.”
They stated they plan to ask Decide Sidney H. Stein in Manhattan to dismiss the indictment on a number of grounds, together with for constitutional and sufficiency causes and since New York federal courtroom is the improper venue.
Prosecutors stated of their letter to the decide that the voluminous quantity of proof turned over to the protection shouldn’t delay the trial as a result of it was in step with what the federal government promised on the first convention in October.
“Briefly, if there have been a proper to have a number of months to digest discovery previous to submitting motions, because the defendants seem to recommend, apply on this district would look fairly completely different. The present schedule set by the Court docket is expedited, however affordable,” prosecutors stated.
