BOSTON After months of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 24-count trial of former Mayor Jasiel Correia II appears on track for a March 16 start date, according to a federal online docket.
Another virtual “in-chambers” meeting was held on Thursday between U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Woodlock and attorneys involved in the case to discuss “confidentiality and personal privacy issues affecting trial participants,” read a court entry.
A similar hearing was held on Jan. 29.
An in-person pre-trial conference is set for Feb. 23.
Correia and his top aide and campaign manager, Gen Andrade, were set for trial on the government corruption side of the case for allegedly scheming to gain $600,000 in bribes for the non-opposition letters needed for any marijuana company to seek state licensing for medical and recreational marijuana last May.
FALL RIVER It’s been a discussion for years, but never funded, and now with $40,000 to expend the City Council is set to hire its own attorney.
During last summer’s budget talks, the City Council expressed a desire to fund the position and Mayor Paul Coogan added a line item in their budget.
The City Council recently advertised a solicitation for resumes from attorneys and firms, said City Council President Cliff Ponte. Interviews will likely be conducted in open session and then the council will vote for the new hire.
“I will work with council leadership on how we are going to decide, but I want the process to be as transparent as possible and I want it to be a public process if possible,” said Ponte.
Costa pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of aiding and abetting to commit extortion and one count of making false statement. Camara did the same, plus an additional charge of making false statements. Hebert pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of aiding and abetting and one count of making false statements.
All three co-conspirators are awaiting sentencing and are named on federal prosecutors’ witness list for Correia s trial, now scheduled for Feb. 22.
Federal sentencing guidelines indicate that each conspiracy charge brings with it up to 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. For lying to federal investigators, they could spend up to five years in prison.
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Allen launched an exploratory committee to
run for governor as a Democrat on Monday, and she plans to embark on a listening tour around the state for the next several months. Allen, of Cambridge, is a political theorist, author and policy expert, and serves as director of Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics.
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