A federal judge has set February 4 to start the retrial of former New York Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno on fraud charges and imposed a gag order on the lawyers. More from WAMC’s Dave Lucas…
U.S. District Judge Gary Sharpe says Tuesday the case will be tried in court, not the press, while acknowledging he imposed the same rule at the 2009 trial, where Bruno himself held daily press conferences on the courthouse steps to say he was innocent while his lawyers stood quietly by.
The retired 83-year-old has remained free while an appeals court overturned his two convictions for so-called "honest services fraud," citing a Supreme Court ruling in another case that such convictions must show direct bribes or kickbacks.
Bruno was once one of the three most powerful officials in state government.
Dave Lucas, WAMC News.
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