U.S. justices skeptical of Puerto Rican politician's bribery appeal

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

POLITICS | Tue Oct 4, 2016 | 2:14pm EDT

U.S. justices skeptical of Puerto Rican politician's bribery appeal

By Lawrence Hurley | WASHINGTON

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared ready to rule against a Puerto Rican politician who maintained he cannot be retried on corruption charges involving a trip to Las Vegas to watch a boxing bout after his original conviction was thrown out.

The eight justices heard the first oral argument of their new term in the appeal filed by Hector Martinez Maldonado, who served in Puerto Rico's Senate from 2005 until his 2011 conviction, and businessman Juan Bravo Fernandez, former president of a private security company.

Several justices expressed skepticism about the defendants' arguments.

Bravo Fernandez sought to bribe Martinez Maldonado to win passage of bills that would benefit his business, according to prosecutors. The case focused in part on allegations that Bravo Fernandez paid for Martinez Maldonado to travel to Las Vegas in 2005 to watch boxer Felix "Tito" Trinidad, a sports hero in the Caribbean U.S. territory, lose to underdog Winky Wright.

Bravo Fernandez and Martinez Maldonado were convicted for their roles in the alleged bribery scheme. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out their convictions in 2013.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-puertorico-idUSKCN124245

[AngryAmish]

1. Winky gave Tito a boxing lesson that night.

Winky was a real slick boxer in the day.