Sen. Hill’s Wife Shoves, Curses Trial Prosecutor : Courts: Tension erupts in hallway during husband’s political corruption trial.

The tense atmosphere surrounding Sen. Frank Hill’s corruption trial exploded outside the courtroom Tuesday as the Whittier Republican’s wife shoved and cursed a federal prosecutor pressing the case against her husband.

Overcome with emotion during a trial recess, Faye Hill stopped Assistant U.S. Atty. Brad Lewis in a hallway, shoved him with one hand, and said, “You want to know what’s unfair? I’ve got three kids. You son of a bitch.”

Lewis threw up his hands and walked away. Later, he refused any comment on the brief altercation outside the federal courtroom where Hill’s case went to the jury Tuesday.

Hill quickly pulled his wife away and Mrs. Hill began crying, according to an Associated Press reporter who witnessed the encounter. As she reached a nearby escalator, Mrs. Hill said: “It makes me mad.”

In explaining her outburst, Stephen D. Miller, Hill’s lawyer, said that the federal political corruption investigation in which the legislator was ensnared has been hanging over the heads of the family for nearly six years.

“It’s been a long and emotional trial and she was speaking from her heart,” Miller said.

Hill is charged with extortion, conspiracy and money laundering. He is the first GOP legislator to stand trial in an ongoing series of cases resulting from an elaborate FBI undercover sting focused on corruption in state government. The trial is entering its 18th day.

Hill’s co-defendant is Terry E. Frost, a former Senate Democratic aide, who is accused of one count of conspiracy.

Tuesday’s altercation took place shortly after Lewis’ colleague, Assistant U.S. Atty. John Vincent, accused Miller of improperly playing a tape in which the prosecution’s star witness briefly mentioned her marital difficulties.

Hill’s lawyer later apologized to the jury for playing the taped conversation of former Republican Assembly aide Karin Watson, which had not been introduced as evidence during the trial.

In his summation, Miller sought to undermine Watson’s credibility. Watson, 47, who briefly was supervised by Hill in the mid-1980s, pleaded guilty to a felony extortion charge and agreed to testify against Hill. As part of her plea bargain, prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of probation or six months in a halfway house.

Watson testified that she participated in an illegal conspiracy with Hill to shake down an FBI undercover agent posing as an Atlanta businessman for a $2,500 honorarium, or speaking fee, in exchange for help on legislation sought by the entrepreneur. The bill was designed to make it easier for the businessman to locate a shrimp processing plant near Sacramento.

In seeking to impeach Watson, Miller faulted her for failing to be forthcoming and exaggerating her importance in the Legislature.

First, he maintained that in tapes and her lengthy testimony, Watson presented three different versions of when in 1988 she told then-Assemblyman Hill that he would be receiving the honorarium at a hotel.

He also sought to cast doubt on Watson by reminding the jurors that she drank champagne during meetings with the undercover businessman and with another FBI informant.

However, while Watson’s drinking habits seemed to be central to the case when it began on May 9, Miller seemed to be soft-pedaling it a bit, saying “I’m not a guy who criticizes a person who takes a few drinks.”

Christopher Wing, Frost’s lawyer, also sought to discredit Watson.

He contended that Frost sought to do “everything in the world to frustrate” efforts by Watson and an FBI informant to link money funneled to Assembly Republicans with the bill sought by the bogus shrimp businessman.

Wing conceded that his client “has a big mouth” when, on secretly recorded conversations, he bragged about raising money for Senate Democrats “but that doesn’t mean he’s guilty.”

The jury is scheduled to resume deliberating today.