Sharpe James

There will be no part two to the Sharpe James trial. 

The federal government dropped its additional charges against former Newark Mayor Sharpe James today, saying that they would only use up additional resources for a new trial that wouldn’t likely result in any additional prison time for James.

James was convicted last month on five corruption charges, and faces 10-15 years in federal prison.  But he was set to face more fraud charges in a July 8th trial relating to his use of city credit cards to pay for personal expenses, including movie tickets, pay-per-view pornographic movies and body lotions at a hotel.

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It’s worth pointing this out: among the many political insiders who made the pilgramage to Union County this week to attend the signing of State Sen. Raymond Lesniak’s new book, "The Road to Abolition: How New Jersey Abolished the Death Penalty” was his colleague, State Sen. Ronald Rice.  Perhaps it’s a good thing that Rice will read Lesniak’s book, since he was one of two legislators (the other was Sharpe James) who abstained on the death penalty vote last year.

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Sharpe James NEWARK - A lot of Democrats who worked with Sharpe James over the years had one word to describe what they felt today as they watched a federal jury deliver a guilty verdict in the former mayor’s corruption trial.

They felt sad.

"Sometimes we cooperated, sometimes we didn’t, but I really believe he cared about Newark," said North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato. "It’s a terrible tragedy."

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Leave it to Jon Corzine to offer a little bit of praise to his old friend Sharpe James on the day the former Mayor of Newark was convicted of corruption charges: “Any of the good works done by Mayor James are now overshadowed by this corruption conviction,” Corzine said in a statement noting that “it is a sad day as a jury of citizens confirmed the betrayal of the public trust by a longstanding and well-known public official.”

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The conviction of former Newark Mayor/State Sen. Sharpe James is another victory for U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, the front runner for the 2009 Republican nomination for Governor.  Since becoming federal prosecutor in 2002, Christie has won a conviction or plea agreement against every public official indicted by a federal grand jury.

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Former Newark Mayor Sharpe James was convicted on federal corruption charges today: Getty Images Photo

Former Newark Mayor Sharpe James was convicted on all counts of a 5-count federal corruption indictment today, and co-defendant Tamika Riley was also found guilty on all 13 charges against her.

James, 72, was the Mayor from 1986 to 2006, and served in the State Senate from 1999 to 2008.

James will remain free on bail until sentencing, and could face several years in prison.

A federal jury found that James rigged the sale of city-owned land to Riley, his former girlfriend. Riley was able to quickly resell the land at a huge profit.

James was indicted last summer on 33 counts.

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Jurors have reached a verdict in the corruption trial of former Newark Mayor Sharpe James, who has been charged with manipulating the sale of city land to Tamika Riley, a friend with no development experience. The federal jury has been deliberating the conspiracy and fraud charges since April 9. James served as Mayor from 1986 to 2006. He was also a City Councilman from 1974 to 1986 and a State Senator from 1999 to 2008.

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The Star-Ledger gets our Academy Award for the best video of the year: they captured a video of a bird defacating on former Newark Mayor Sharpe James' head during an interview outside the federal courthouse, where James is on trial in a federal corruption case. Be patient -- the good part comes about 50 seconds into the interview.

Sharpe James takes the bus

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NEWARK -Former Newark Mayor Sharpe James Lawyers for former Newark Mayor Sharpe James and Tamika Riley fought back in federal court today against depictions of their clients as intertwining strands of corruption in a fraud case the feds say James and Riley perpetrated against the people of Newark's struggling South Ward. 

Arguing on behalf of James, 72, defense attorney Tom Ashley said it was a Newark City Council top-heavy with James detractors, including the mayor's arch-nemesis Cory Booker, that repeatedly affirmed the sale of city properties to Riley.

"He's charged with unduly influencing the (Department of Economic Housing Development) on behalf of his girlfriend," Ashley told 19 jurors in the federal courtroom of District Judge William Martini on Monday afternoon. "There is no evidence, and we will fight it to the last day."

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Delivering an opening argument against former Newark Mayor Sharpe James in U.S. District Court today, the prosecution contended that James failed to disclose the nature of his relationship with Tamika Riley.

The U.S. Attorney’s office says James, who is standing trial for fraud, never revealed that Riley was his girlfriend, even as he steered nine city properties to her at $46,000 before selling them to private developers for a total of $665,000.

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