12162019 - News Article - New judge takes over Snyder public corruption case

New judge takes over Snyder public corruption case
NWI Times
December 16, 2019
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/new-judge-takes-over-snyder-public-corruption-case/article_589eaa68-1dcf-575b-ab83-81ce9c675044.html

HAMMOND — If former Portage Mayor James Snyder has to face a new trial on a federal bribery count, it will be before a different federal judge.

U.S. District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen recently announced he will no longer preside over the Snyder public corruption case, after three years on the job.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Theresa L. Springmann is taking over the matter.

Van Bokkelen gave no reason in his recusal order for removing himself from future proceedings in the Snyder case other than “for the reason of efficient administration of the docket.” It remains unclear whether there will be a new trial.

Van Bokkelen ruled late last month that Snyder deserved a new trial over allegations Snyder corruptly solicited a $13,000 bribe in 2014 from a Portage truck dealership to assure the dealership won the city of Portage’s purchase of garbage trucks.

The judge last week gave prosecutors 45 days to decide whether or not they want to proceed on the bribery count before a new jury.

Van Bokkelen had presided over the case since the U.S. attorney’s office first charged Snyder in November 2016 with bribery and tax evasion.

Snyder’s 19-day trial ended on Feb. 14 this year with a federal jury acquitting Snyder of allegations he corruptly awarded towing contracts, but found him guilty of bribery in the garbage truck contract.

The jury also convicted Snyder of obstructing the Internal Revenue Service by refusing to timely pay taxes due from his private mortgage business.

Those two convictions removed Snyder from public office, but his defense team pressed Van Bokkelen over the course of the next nine months to either acquit or grant a new trial.

The defense argued there was insufficient evidence to support the guilty verdicts and that misconduct by federal prosecutors denied Snyder a fair trial.

Van Bokkelen ruled Nov. 27 that Snyder deserves a new trial on the garbage truck bribery count.

The judge stopped short of condemning prosecutors of misconduct, but he did conclude “gamesmanship” by the prosecution prevented the jury from hearing testimony from the former owners of the truck dealership, who paid Snyder the $13,000.

Snyder’s defense team argues Steve and Bob Buha, owners of Great Lakes Peterbilt, would convince a jury they paid Snyder for legitimate consulting services and that the money wasn’t a bribe.

Van Bokkelen upheld the tax evasion count.

Although Snyder eventually paid his taxes, Van Bokkelen concluded in his Nov. 27 ruling that prosecutors proved Snyder created false documents to conceal from the IRS the true financial status of his private business ventures.