Are The Rats Turning On Each Other....

[Laxman]

or is there something else going on. I welcome your observations, analysis or conjecture. This just doesn't quite make sense to me.

GWB scandal: Baroni lawyers say prosecutors' request aimed at protecting Christie ‘inner circle'

Attorneys for a former Christie aide who is facing federal criminal charges for allegedly closing lanes at the George Washington Bridge are fighting what they say is an attempt by prosecutors to keep evidence collected during the investigation secret before the trial.

Lawyers for former Port Authority deputy executive director Bill Baroni wrote in court papers that a proposal to limit disclosure of the evidence in the case prior to the trial would hamper their defense. They also wrote that it showed federal prosecutors’ “desire to protect members of Governor Christie’s inner circle” and other government officials.

The legal fight is over a previous request by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to add an extra layer of privacy over nearly 1.5 million documents it must turn over to defense attorneys in preparation for the trial. Federal prosecutors say some of the documents contain sensitive and private information unrelated to the bridge charges, and they have asked a judge to require that defense attorneys get approval from the judge before showing any of the documents to anyone else.

In court papers filed late Wednesday night, attorneys Michael Baldassare and Jennifer Mara wrote that there are already court rules in place that prohibit defense attorneys from unnecessarily disclosing sensitive information in the lead-up to a trial.

The case is being closely watched because it is progressing as Christie prepares to announce whether he will run for president and because prosecutors have said there are “unindicted co-conspirators” in the case—people who investigators believe were involved but were not charged for some reason. After a nearly 16-month investigation, Baroni and former Christie deputy chief of staff Bridget Anne Kelly were charged for scheming to cause traffic jams in Fort Lee to get back at the borough’s mayor for not endorsing Christie for re-election in 2013. David Wildstein, a former Port Authority official who oversaw the lane closures, has pleaded guilty and is a witness against his two former colleagues.

Baroni’s attorneys wrote in a fiery 51-page document that the public interest in the case is reason not to grant the so-called protective order. They also criticized prosecutors’ argument that some of the documents, if disclosed, would embarrass people not involved in the alleged scheme and would fuel speculation about the identity of the unindicted co-conspirators. Such documents, regularly made available to defendants before trial, are called discovery.

Are they really saying the U.S. Attorney is protecting Christie and his inner circle?

Read the rest here: http://www.northjersey.com/news/gwb-scandal-baroni-lawyers-say-prosecutors-request-aimed-at-protecting-christie-inner-circle-1.1354255

[winstars]

1. Laxman, so the US Attorney who replace shithead is gonna protect him? Sounds about right...

More "Fitzma BS...

I hope something happens but when we Google "Fitzsmas", ya actually get results based on our disappointment, oh so many years ago. Not being a downer but...

[Laxman]

2. As Much As Christie Deserves To Be Prosecuted....

if all of this serves to reveal what a completely unethical and evil person he is, at least some interest can be served. I think the most important quote over the past year and a half came from a recent editorial in the Newark Star-Ledger- -"It’s no wonder that New Jersey is screaming a warning to the rest of the country".

I still believe somebody is going to crack and start singing about either Bridgegate or any of the other sordid assortment of his misdeeds. But if that doesn't happen, at least there is a body of information out there that exposes him for the toxic candidate he is.

[winstars]

4. That is basically my position too, I am at work now but yeah thats about what I think too...

Thanks for all your insight throughout all of this!

[GeorgeGist]

3. Lawyers and politicians sure do generate a lot of paper.

[Beach Rat]

5. I don't know what to make of this either

What do you think, is Baroni threatening Christie or some of his people? This kind of sounds like a shot over the bow that if he goes down he's not going alone. The prosecutor might have a legitimate reason for not dragging people through the mud when there isn't any evidence against them instead of trying to protect them from prosecution. I mean, wouldn't Baroni know who knew what and when without this information? Certainly Bridget Kelly knows exactly who was involved and what their involvement was. They don't need the prosecutor's investigation to tell them that.

[Laxman]

6. There Is Something To Be Said....

for what you bring up. It is quite possible that this is just a tactical move for them to try to find out just what the U.S. Attorney knows or doesn't know. I think you're right, Kelly & Baroni know what they know. They also know what the prosecutor will be using against them. What they don't know is the depth of knowledge the U.S. Attorney has regarding the scope of the conspiracy. I certainly would like to know that information before making a decision to make a deal or not. This may be nothing more than an attempt to gather as much information on the U.S. Attorney's case so an informed decision on whether or not to cooperate can be made.

[Laxman]

7. It Seems That Bridget Kelly Has Decided....

to join in the request for this information as well. I still don't get why the prosecutor wants to keep this stuff secret.

Kelly lawyer fights prosecutors' request to keep GWB evidence confidential

A lawyer for a former deputy chief of staff to Governor Christie who is facing federal charges for a political retribution scheme at the George Washington Bridge said in court papers that he expects many of his client’s colleagues in state government to privately help her prepare her defense.

Attorney Michael Critchley Sr.’s statement raises the possibility that some current or former Christie administration officials are standing behind Bridget Anne Kelly, whom the governor fired, accused of lying and partially blamed for the scandal. Critchley’s filing does not go into more specifics, and the statement about former colleagues is only one small part of a broader argument he made in court papers filed late Thursday.

Critchley is fighting a request by prosecutors to classify as confidential the approximately 1.5 million pages of evidence collected during their nearly 16-month investigation into the lane closures at the bridge. Prosecutors still are required to share the evidence with defense attorneys.

Critchley wrote that the privacy restrictions would hinder Kelly’s defense because lawyers may want to show some of that evidence to Kelly’s former colleagues “who cannot or will not” help by testifying as a witness, but will help her privately.

The protective order would keep the documents confidential unless prosecutors agree that they can be shown to others or be made public. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has argued that the confidentiality is necessary because much of the evidence is not relevant to the charges and includes sensitive, private or embarrassing information about people not involved in the alleged crime. The judge in the case will make a decision on the request in the coming weeks.

Prosecutors have let defense attorneys begin reviewing the evidence but they will not allow them to take copies until the judge rules. Critchley wrote that his legal team had already spent two days looking at the records and “has not identified any information that reasonably could be considered confidential.” He said there were “random examples of individuals occasionally using offensive or insulting language in e-mails or other documents and public employees using personal e-mails and phones to conduct government business.”

read the rest here if you're interested: http://www.northjersey.com/news/kelly-lawyer-fights-prosecutors-request-to-keep-gwb-evidence-confidential-1.1355224