CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : Ex-Teamster Chief Guilty

Former Teamster leader Rudy Tham was convicted of obstructing justice by trying to get U.S. District Judge Robert Aguilar to influence the judge who was hearing a criminal case against Tham. Aguilar faces a separate trial on the same conspiracy charge and four other felony counts. A jury deadlocked in March in a joint trial of Aguilar, Tham and a third man, reputed ex-mobster Abe Chapman. Tham was convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice stemming from allegations that he sought to have Aguilar approach U.S. District Judge Stanley Weigel in early 1988 and persuade Weigel to hold a hearing on Tham’s bid to overturn his 1980 embezzlement conviction. Weigel testified that Aguilar spoke to him one or more times about Tham’s case but never tried to influence him.