The closing arguments in the federal corruption trial in the Massachusetts probation department are set for Tuesday.
On Monday, the judge in the case denied a request by defense attorneys to throw out the case even as federal prosecutors put forward the contention that House Speaker Robert DeLeo was part of a conspiracy to commit racketeering.
Jeremy Sternberg, a former assistant U.S. District attorney, says it seems that the judge is looking at the case in a broader way.
"It's morphed in a sense from a pure case about sham hiring and moved into kind of a 'Was there a quid pro quo on Beacon Hill as well?' that's becoming a bigger part of this case as the sham hiring is becoming a less significant part," he said.
Sternberg agrees that DeLeo not making an appearance in the court room is a major factor in the case.
"There are cases in which unindicted co-conspirators, they plead guilty, they cooperate, sometime they're immunized and they testified for the government ... but this is unusual in the sense that you've got a prominent, unindicted co-conspirator announce toward the end of the trial who was not a government witness, was apparently, according to him, didn't testify, wasn't called to the grand jury, and certainly hasn't plead or cooperated," he said.
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