« Ind. Law - More on: Clark County attorney works for State Department as a contract lawyer | Main | Ind. Law - Still more on "Red light cameras legal?" »

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Ind. Courts - More on: Robert Cantrell found guilty on all charges

Updating this ILB entry from last weekend, stories today on what's next.

Joe Carlson's story in the NWI Times is headed "Will political operative 'flip'?" Not like, says the story. In addition, it points up the identity issue Andy Grimm of the Gary Post Tribune reported over the weekend. Carlson reports today :

Cantrell was convicted of all 11 public corruption crimes he was charged with, but he still has one last chance for acquittal before he has to decide whether to file an appeal.

During the gap between the prosecution and defense phases of the trial, defense attorney Kevin Milner said prosecutors failed to have any of the dozens of witnesses in the six-day trial positively identify Cantrell in the courtroom.

U.S. District Judge Rudy Lozano refused to reopen the trial's prosecution phase so that a government witness could identify Cantrell, and Milner did not put a witness on the stand during the defense who could be cross-examined.

Joe Hero, a St. John Republican who sparred with Cantrell before Cantrell officially became a Democrat in 2003, said Cantrell told him during a chance encounter at a restaurant Sunday that he was putting his hopes in the identity issue.

Grimm's story today in the P-T, headed "Cantrell's legend, if not power, lingers," reports, in a lengthy story:
And despite last week's conviction, Cantrell's power -- and the legend of it -- lingers.

Some longtime allies and rivals didn't return phone calls from the Post-Tribune and others suggested -- off-the-record -- that local politicians may still be waiting to see how things shake out. Cantrell's conviction has yet to be formally entered pending a ruling from federal Judge Rudy Lozano on a last-ditch motion to have the case thrown out on a technicality.

Others may be hesitant to speak because it is widely believed that Cantrell may have information of interest to federal investigators, involving dozens of political figures.

McDermott said he doesn't know if Cantrell knows about other illegal activity, but he doubts Cantrell would divulge it if he did.

"I really don't think he's the type of person that's going to roll," he said. "He's old school."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on June 10, 2008 09:10 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts