By Bill Zeeble, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-859908.mp3
Dallas, TX –
Federal prosecutors continued an aggressive cross-examination Thursday of former Dallas City Council man Don Hill. He and some associates stand accused of taking bribes in exchange for council votes. Hill denies it all. KERA's Bill Zeeble reports.
Prosecutor Marcus Busch brought up not just questions about cash changing hands, where he alleged Hill was accepting bribes. He also cited Hill's past ethics violations, taxes he owed, and bounced checks. Some incidents occurred more than 20 years ago. Trial observer and attorney Clint David says it's an attempt to challenge Hill's credibility.
Clint David: What they're trying to do is dirty him up. What they're trying to do is chip away at this good guy image that he has with jury and try to show he's had ethical problems before, and if he's had ethical problems before he's probably got them now.
David says if the jury doesn't believe Hill, if they smell a rat, Hill could be in real trouble. But Hill's attorney Ray Jackson says he's not worried. Those other issues, he says, are distractions and not evidence pertinent to this case.
Jackson: They can't prove what he's in court about. When they can prove that, then I would worry. At this point, if they want to talk about his past, they can do that. They have all these wiretaps. If they had the evidence you would see it. They don't have it. They don't have the evidence.
Hill's defense attorney gets to talk again to his client on the stand. Defense attorneys for Hill's wife Sheila Farrington and associate D'Angelo Lee must still present their cases.