Christie Allies’ Lawyers Say Jury Direction Sabotages Case
- Panel wanted to know if motive matters in conspiracy case
- Kelly, Baroni accused of closing lanes as political payback
Bridget Anne Kelly, the former deputy chief of staff to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, arrives at court on Sept. 19, 2016, in Newark, New Jersey.
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Lawyers for two former allies of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said a judge’s response to jurors sets up a guilty verdict by discarding any consideration of motive in deciding whether they illegally closed access lanes to the George Washington Bridge.
Jurors asked the judge on Tuesday whether they need to decide that Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni created gridlock to punish a local mayor for failing to support Christie’s 2013 re-election. The answer led Kelly’s lawyer to assert that the judge was sabotaging the defense.