U.S. District Judge Scott Coogler has denied a defense motion to delay the trial of Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, lobbyist Al LaPierre and investment banker Bill Blount.
The defendants had argued that the charges against them were complex and that they needed more time to sift through the evidence prosecutors had given to them. However, Judge Coogler ruled today that the trial is neither complex nor the evidence too great for the defense to prepare by the current trial date.
"The avermernts of the indictment do not charge a complex financial fraud nor require protracted review of a large cache of business records to prove or disprove a sophisticated fraudulent accounting scheme," Judge Coogler wrote in the order filed Tuesday. "No expert witnesses are required to explain arcane financial transactions. This is simply a bribery case."
In sometimes terse language, Judge Coogler warned the defendants venturing too far outside the scope of the case, noting that the trial date had been postponed already at the defendants' request.
"The Speedy Trial Act imposes an obligation on the court not only to consider the interests of the defendant, but the interests of the public in a speedy and fair disposition of the allegation in an indictment," Coogler wrote.
The remains scheduled for Aug. 31.
Read the PDF of Coogler's ruling here.
The defendants had argued that the charges against them were complex and that they needed more time to sift through the evidence prosecutors had given to them. However, Judge Coogler ruled today that the trial is neither complex nor the evidence too great for the defense to prepare by the current trial date.
"The avermernts of the indictment do not charge a complex financial fraud nor require protracted review of a large cache of business records to prove or disprove a sophisticated fraudulent accounting scheme," Judge Coogler wrote in the order filed Tuesday. "No expert witnesses are required to explain arcane financial transactions. This is simply a bribery case."
In sometimes terse language, Judge Coogler warned the defendants venturing too far outside the scope of the case, noting that the trial date had been postponed already at the defendants' request.
"The Speedy Trial Act imposes an obligation on the court not only to consider the interests of the defendant, but the interests of the public in a speedy and fair disposition of the allegation in an indictment," Coogler wrote.
The remains scheduled for Aug. 31.
Read the PDF of Coogler's ruling here.
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