Former Newark mayor convicted

Former Newark Mayor Sharpe James, 72, and his ex-mistress were convicted of corruption charges centered on her cut-rate purchase of city land.

The verdicts were a stunning rebuke to James, who was mayor of the state’s largest city for 20 years. Gov. Jon S. Corzine -- a Democrat, like James -- said: “It is a sad day as a jury of citizens confirmed the betrayal of the public trust by a long-standing and well-known public official. Any of the good works done by Mayor James are now overshadowed by this corruption conviction.”