Judge Scolds Traficant for Vulgarity

A judge reprimanded Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. (D-Ohio) on Thursday for making a vulgar, belittling comment about prosecutors in the congressman’s corruption trial.

U.S. District Judge Lesley Wells ordered him to sit down and then lectured him after Traficant referred derisively to the prosecution.

Although not a lawyer, Traficant is defending himself against charges of taking kickbacks from staff members, accepting gifts and free labor from businessmen for his political help and filing false tax returns.

He could face up to 63 years in prison if convicted of all 10 counts, though the sentence would probably be shorter because of federal sentencing guidelines.

He has struggled with his defense over the last week, failing to persuade Wells to allow testimony from several of his witnesses.

On Thursday, he was notified by reporters on his way into court that the judge had denied him the chance to play audiotapes in court that include witnesses suggesting that government agents pressured them into testifying. The congressman earlier had called the tapes “the best evidence in my defense.”

He challenged the judge before the jury came into the courtroom, telling her: “I am very upset. You are a prosecution witness, as far as I am concerned. I would like to subpoena you.”

But Wells said she had filed the order Wednesday, and it was his responsibility to read her rulings.

After Traficant made his comment about the prosecutors, Wells called it a “childish remark” and reviewed the rules for courtroom procedure and decorum.

But she stopped short of imposing any penalties on the nine-term lawmaker. Prosecutors last week asked her to sanction Traficant for violating rules of evidence. She had not yet ruled on that request.

Traficant called four members of his Youngstown office to his defense Wednesday, but the judge blocked their secondhand statements as hearsay.