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.

 

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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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