BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–Judge mysteriously, abruptly postpones closing arguments
A simmering, closed-door legal argument over the judge’s charge in the Bridgegate trial this morning led to an abrupt and mysterious cancellation of the session that was supposed to see defense attorneys present their closing arguments. After federal Judge Susan D. Wigenton sent the jurors home–with no explanation beyond that a “legal issue” had come up–lawyers for both sides were uncharacteristically closed-lipped about the reason.
Judge Wigenton gave her charge Wednesday and defense lawyers, while refusing to speak publicly, were unhappy about two sections–one dealing with the application of a statute generally used in civil, rather than criminal, cases and the other about motive.
One of the media outlets that paid for daily transcripts of the trial and had access to what was recorded at closed conferences reported earlier this week that Judge Wigenton ruled in a closed session with lawyers that prosecutors did not have to prove that defendants Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni misused resources of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey with the specific intent of punishing Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich–just that they misused those resources.
That issue appeared to be resolved Wednesday morning. However, after court adjourned that day–and after the judge’s charge–sources close to the defense expressed unhappiness about how Wigenton spoke of the federal civil rights statute Baroni and Kelly are charged with violating.
The judge said that the jury had to find that the defendants’ behavior was “egregious and outrageous” enough to “shock the conscience” of the jury BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–Judge mysteriously, abruptly postpones closing arguments |:
