A federal judge has denied motions to dismiss corruption charges

Villalobos, Lucio trials delayed until April


July 18, 2012 9:50 AM

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E-Mail StoryCHRISTOPHER SHERMAN, Associated Press

(AP) — A federal judge has denied motions to dismiss corruption charges against the Cameron County district attorney and a former law partner implicated in a judicial bribery scheme.



The judge on Wednesday also agreed to postpone until April the trial for Cameron County District Attorney Armando Villalobos and lawyer Eddie Lucio on racketeering charges. The trial had been scheduled for August in Brownsville.



A May indictment alleges the pair schemed to make money gaming the local legal system. Lucio and Villalobos have pleaded not guilty.



Both said the indictment was too vague to defend against.



They're among a dozen swept up in a federal investigation of former state district Judge Abel Limas, who already has pleaded guilty to similar charges.



The judge also postponed the trial of Attorney Marc Rosenthal, who is also linked to the Lima case. Rosenthal's trial was scheduled to begin in October, but has now been pushed back to February.



Rosenthal is charged with conspiracy to violate the RICCO statute, tampering with a witness, aiding and abetting, tampering with a proceeding, extortion, and fraud.







Brownsville Herald Laura B. Martinez contributed to this report.




http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/articles/dismissal-142598-lucio-seek.html