Judge to Bruno: No press talk [ Surrender Free Speech for Your Health ]

Albany TU ^ | May 1, 2014 | Robert Gavin

[Fitzy_888]

The working day in the retrial of former state Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno will be shorter — as long as the former political powerhouse is not too talkative outside of court.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Gary Sharpe conditionally ruled on Thursday that the trial, which begins Monday, will start at 10 a.m. and last until 4:30 p.m. each day. He said Bruno, 85, of Brunswick requested the shorter days for medical-related reasons.

(...)

But Sharpe said his view will change if he sees Bruno outside the courthouse speaking to reporters about the trial. The longtime Republican senator did so regularly at his first trial in 2009.

"The minute I see him out there at 9 o'clock or 5 o'clock conducting press conferences with the people in the back, the condition has been dissatisfied and I'm going back to a 9-to-5 schedule," Sharpe said.

(...)

[Fitzy_888]

A Federal Judge with a lifetime appointment who is answerable only to Eric Holder. Denying an 85 year old man with kidney cancer his first amendment rights via coercion.

Your health or your 1st Amendment rights...you choose?

This is the second trial, first the first trial:

/// "Let me explain something to you once, Mr. Bruno, and I will not explain it again," said a scowling U.S. District Judge Gary Sharpe just after he sent the jury home for the day.

"For once in your life you don't control something - I do," Sharpe told the former Republican kingpin. "If you ever do what you just did in the presence of that jury again, which is question any of my rulings, I will take measures to make sure you don't repeat that."

Sharpe's scolding came after Bruno appeared to express frustration with Sharpe for allowing prosecutors a final chance to question a witness before leaving for the day.

It was not clear exactly what Bruno - whose back was facing the gallery - did to anger the judge.

After the scolding, a visibly annoyed Bruno answered, "I understand very clearly what is happening here, judge - very clearly."

Bruno's supporters have been critical of Sharpe, suggesting he's biased for the prosecution because his son works for the U.S. attorney's office in Albany. ///

http://m.nydailynews.com/news/judge-tells-senate-majority-leader-joe-bruno-boss-pal-article-1.417168#bmb=1