RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – A federal appeals court has upheld bribery charges against U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, clearing the way for a trial.

The Louisiana Democrat sought to dismiss the indictment, claiming that his constituti

William Jefferson Bribery Charges

William Jefferson Bribery Charges

onal rights were violated when the grand jury received evidence that violated legislative immunity.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday rejected Jefferson’s claims, ruling that prosecutors can pursue the case without making reference to constitutionally protected material.

A lower court judge previously refused to dismiss the indictment, saying Jefferson was trying to apply immunity so broadly that it would make it virtually impossible to ever charge a congressman with a crime.

Shout This!
[Bloglines] [del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [Google] [Ma.gnolia] [MySpace] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [StumbleUpon] [Technorati] [Twitter] [Windows Live] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »
Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite PicLens