Philly ticket-fixing trial continues
The ticket-fixing trial of five former Philadelphia traffic court judges has become a study in linguistics.
Witnesses have been sparring with defense lawyers over what it meant for a judge to give someone “consideration” in Philadelphia Traffic Court.
Federal prosecutors say the phrase was passed along to let judges know to dismiss the ticket as a personal or political favor.
Authorities say some defendants didn’t even have to come to court.
But court staff this week have reportedly testified that the phrase sometimes meant a charge would be reduced in a plea bargain.
More than a dozen people have been indicted in the case, but several have pleaded guilty.
Traffic tickets in Philadelphia are now being handled by the city’s Municipal Court.
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