As I say, this was a massive case featuring a large cast of seven defendants — the biggest criminal trial ever in federal court here. It can’t have been an easy case for the prosecutors to try. Lead prosecutor Joe Thompson took two hours for a closing argument (and 45 minutes rebuttal) summarizing the numerous charges against each of the defendants. Defense counsel took something like 10 hours over two days to make their closing arguments.

Thompson might have slighted the argument to be made against one or more of the defendants in his closing, but the prosecution largely prevailed. The not-guilty verdicts on some of the bribery charges may reflect doubt about the government’s cooperating witness on the bribery allegations. That witness has pleaded guilty and has yet to be sentenced by Judge Brasel.

Attorney Steve Schleicher gave the best defense closing. His client (Said Farah) was acquitted. I thought if Farah had the funds to pay Schleicher’s hourly rate the government must have left a lot of cash on the table when it executed its warrant on defendants’ premises in January 2022.