Disgraced former Brooklyn Democratic Party boss Clarence Norman — who is out of jail pending an appeal of an earlier corruption conviction — was back in court this week facing his fourth trial in less than two years, this one for allegedly intimidating two Civil Court candidates into paying up to $100,000 for campaign services.
Both sides settled in for what is expected to be the climactic battle between District Attorney Charles Hynes and Norman, who is accused of overseeing a “pay-to-play” judicial system.
Norman’s lawyer, Edward Wilford, says his client will be exonerated.
The Daily News reported last week that the former wife of a now-dead judge saw her then-husband hand $5,000 to a party official so he could get on the ballot.
The New York Times reported that a sitting judge told a grand jury that more than $40,000 was delivered to Norman to get a slot on the state Supreme Court in 2001.
The current case involves two 2002 Civil Court candidates who say that Norman required them to hire his fundraiser and use Norman’s hand-picked printer to design campaign mailings.
Jury selection is expected to continue into next week.
