How dropping ex-New York lieutenant governor’s bribery charges could impact judicial system

Attorney Interview

Spectrum News

Attorney Steven Cohen was interviewed by Spectrum News for legal analysis of a federal judge’s decision to throw out three counts, including bribery and fraud against ex-Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin in an alleged bribery scheme.

Attorney Steven Cohen, of Tiveron Law, believes there’s sound reasoning from the judge for the dismissals, but said it’s unusual nonetheless.

“It’s very rare to have an indictment dismissed pre-trial. Very, very rare indeed,” he said.

Cohen said he has been critical in the past of federal judges allowing indictments to stand without the requisite specificity. He believes the Benjamin decision could lead to stricter scrutiny of grand jury indictments moving forward.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the bench, in general, takes Judge Oetken’s decision and I think it’s going to be a widely cited opinion, decision, going into the future,” Cohen said.

Read the entire article at: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/politics/2022/12/06/wny-lawyers-analyze-decision-to-drop-former-lg-s-bribery-charges