10052018 - News Article - Judge pushes Portage mayor's corruption trial to January

Judge pushes Portage mayor's corruption trial to January
Chicago Tribune
October 05, 2018
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-snyder-trial-start-st-1006-story.html

A federal judge on Friday delayed the corruption case against Mayor James Snyder and a Portage tow operator that was initially set to start Tuesday.

Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen decided to push the trial of Synder and John Cortina, of Kustom Auto Body in Portage, to January. The judge said he thought it was best to move the trial instead of splitting the case in two.

Van Bokkelen said a two- to three-month delay was appropriate.

“Based on the history of this case, it’s not a long period of time,” Van Bokkelen said.

Kevin Milner, Cortina’s defense attorney, asked the judge to either push the start of the case against the two men or sever his client and schedule that trial at a later date, citing personal medical reasons.

Snyder’s defense attorneys pushed the judge to keep the trial on track, saying they were “ready.”

“Mayor Snyder is anxious to get to trial in this matter, to clear his good name in the community, and he was looking forward to the Oct. 9 trial date as the court knows,” defense attorney Thomas Dogan said Friday.

Dogan said Snyder wanted to note on the record that he objected to the delay.

“For greater than 10 percent of his life, the mayor has been living under an unfair continual dark cloud, with the meritless charges that have been leveled against him,” Dogan said. “His family, friends and the staff of the City of Portage suffer.”

Van Bokkelen said he his cognizant of the amount of time the case has been pending and appreciates Snyder’s desire for the trial to start.

“I understand what you’re saying,” Van Bokkelen said.

Federal prosecutors sought to keep the two defendants together, and agreed Van Bokkelen should shift the trial date.

“The interests of convenience, economy and efficient administration of justice dictate that Snyder and Cortina, joined in the same indictment, be tried together,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Benson wrote, in court documents.

Benson also cited pending motions that Van Bokkelen must rule on and recent material turned over to prosecutors that must be reviewed as reasons to bump the trial.

Snyder and Cortina were charged in November 2016 with allegedly violating a federal bribery statue. Federal prosecutors said the mayor allegedly solicited money from Cortina and “Individual A” and gave them a towing contract for Portage.

Snyder received an additional bribery indictment for alleged accepting $13,000 in connection with a Board of Works contract, and allegedly obstructing Internal Revenue Service laws.

Snyder and Cortina both pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to court documents.