Judge Dale Ho, a federal judge in Manhattan, has set a trial date for New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Adams’ lawyer, Alex Spiro, told the court, “In this city, with an election happening, the court should take into account that he is not just sitting here presumed innocent anymore. It doesn’t give him a realistic chance. If he still has this hanging over his head, that impacts the election, period.”
Judge Ho said the public should have an answer regarding whether or not Adams committed a crime one while in office.
“I do think it’s important for the public to have an answer,” Ho said in court regarding the case.
He also suggested that he expects for the trial to last between four to six weeks, which would put the end of the trial sometime in early June, the month of the primary election.
According to The New York Times, Adams has already spent most of the $1.8 million he raised for his legal defense, which the outlet speculated could factor into the case; the Times reported some concern over Adams’ ability to cover the costs if the government adds more charges.
One of Adams’ lawyers, John Bash, a former special assistant to former president Donald Trump, argued in court, as Adams watched, that the mayor calling the Fire Department concerning a certificate of occupancy to the Turkish consulate didn’t meet the requirements of the charge of federal bribery.
“If this amounts to pressure,” Bash told the court, “then anything does.”
Meanwhile, Hagan Scotten, an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, argued that the definition of federal bribery should be given to the jury rather than have the count dismissed ahead of the trial.
Scotten also clarified the government’s argument for federal bribery.
Of note, according to Wired, almost a year since the federal government seized the mayor’s phone, they still have been unable to crack it.
Adams claims to have “forgot” the six-digit code he switched to before the phone was seized.
Adams’ lawyers have attempted to request a hearing, claiming that the prosecution was leaking information about their investigation to the media, but Judge Ho said that there wasn’t enough evidence to support their claims.
The judge then warned both sets of lawyers that the case will be tried in the courtroom and not by the media through a ruling he issued.
“The parties are cautioned that this case is to be tried in the courtroom,” he wrote, “and not in the press.”
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Source: Black Enterprise
