Jury Selection To Begin In Bergen Democrat Racketeering Trial
By staff
Friday, Feb 20, 2015
Jury selection is set to begin on Tuesday for the trial of former Bergen County Democratic leader Joseph Ferriero. Ferriero is accused of running the Bergen County Democratic Organization through a pattern of racketeering including bribery, extortion and mail fraud.
U.S. District Judge Esther Salas denied Ferriero’s request to have U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman and his office removed from the case. Ferriero’s lawyers alleged that Fishman has a conflict of interest because, as a private lawyer, he represented James Dausch, who is expected to be a witness for the prosecution.
There is “no evidence beyond conjecture that Mr. Fishman received any information from Mr. Dausch during the course of representation that would prejudice Ferriero in this case,” Salas said. “In fact, there is no evidence that Ferriero was ever mentioned in the presence of Mr. Fishman during the course of representation, or that Mr. Fishman knew of any relationship between Ferriero and Mr. Dausch,” she added.
Any dumbocrats on th jury will hang th verdict