CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : U.S. Judge Testifies Against Colleague

U.S. District Judge Sam Conti told a jury that he “felt uncomfortable” and cut off a conversation with Judge Robert Aguilar in 1986 when Aguilar called to vouch for a friend accused of bank fraud. The rare testimony by one federal judge against another came in a packed courtroom during Aguilar’s trial on racketeering and conspiracy charges. Conti said Aguilar called him in January, 1987, before the $20-million bank fraud trial of Fresno businessman Ronald Cloud over his sale of the Cal-Neva Casino at Lake Tahoe at an inflated price. Aguilar is accused of attempting to obstruct justice by intervening with Conti on behalf of Cloud and advising Cloud on his appeal after he was convicted of fraud on Feb. 5, 1987. Conti, a 20-year court veteran, said Aguilar called about the Cloud case saying, “He’s from Fresno. He’s an old man. He’s a friend of mine.”