(WSB Radio) -- "You know you're wrong. You took that man's money," were the opening words of Assistant U. S. Attorney Phyllis Sumner during closing arguments at the federal corruption trial of Former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell. "Technically, I didn't; you did," she finished, paraphrasing the conversation a government witness testified she overheard between Campbell and one of his personal aides.

WSB's Veronica Waters reports Sumner told the jury that alleged response by Campbell is the way the Mayor "craftily insulated" himself while running the city of Atlanta as a criminal enterprise and lining his pockets with thousands of dollars in payoffs.

Sumner told the jury the corruption case against Campbell is like the puzzle her six-year-old dumped out onto a table during the holidays—a puzzle with many pieces one has to patiently put together. As prosecutors detailed the charges against Campbell and explained each of what they called "another piece of the puzzle," a staffer from the U. S. Attorney's office locked giant puzzle pieces into place on an easel set in the witness box. The easel contained a jumbo-sized flyer of Campbell's first mayoral campaign in 1993; each jigsaw section snapped into place covered up a section of the flyer and contained a photograph of a smiling Mayor Campbell seen with the alleged players in a criminal game.

Sumner reminded jurors of the testimony from witnesses who said city contractors helped provide things of benefit to the Mayor, starting with a 1995 waterproofing job at Campbell's home paid for by Fred Prewitt, a city contractor and the Mayor's personal friend.

Assistant U. S. Attorney Russell Vineyard highlighted the frequent flying and cash spending of Campbell. Vineyard said the phrase "What's in it for me," allegedly spoken by Campbell to a friend discussing a potential contract, governed Campbell's conduct as Mayor. With giant calendars displayed on a wall screen, Vineyard focused on the summer of 1999 as "a snapshot" of the way Campbell funded trips with his family and his female friends, often just weeks apart, and detailing the days Vineyard says Campbell received cash from city contractors to fund his fun.

Defense attorney Billy Martin urged jurors: "Please. Please, please, please, see that justice be done in this courtroom."

In a closing argument peppered with pop culture references to the movies, Martin said the government's case reminded him of the film "Kill Bill," with prosecutors determined to spend eight years and millions of dollars just to bring down Campbell, a great Mayor. He ridiculed the prosecution's attempt to convince jurors that Campbell was flush with illegal cash by showing them the amount of check and credit card spending on household items and utility bills.

"When was the last time the IRS went through your gas bill...your grocery bill?" Martin asked. "That's the best they can bring you? ...This was their effort to 'Kill Bill.'"

Martin also scoffed at the prosecution's habit of using the topic of Campbell's extramarital affairs to "spice up" their case. He told jurors such a topic, like that of pointing out that campaign funds were used to pay for the Mayor's cell phone bills, is a sign of "desperation." He asked jurors to use their verdict not only to say that Campbell is not guilty, but also to tell the government to "get out of their bedroom."

Martin likened government witness Dewey Clark—who is a Memphis native--to the Memphis pimp in "Hustle & Flow," a down-on-his-luck hustler character who would do anything to be "big time" and who took advantage of Campbell's kindness.

Martin also told the jury they should tell the government what the character said in the movie "Jerry Maguire:" "Show me the money! Tell them to show you the money was with the Mayor. They can't."

Martin used defense charts to subtract the money which was attributed to bribes from those with questionable credibility, or conflicting testimony, and came out with a few hundred dollars of allegedly unreported income.

"Criminal tax laws do not punish you for making a mistake," Martin said.

But U. S. Attorney Sally Yates disagreed.

"Even if every single government witness was lying, Bill Campbell is still guilty of tax fraud, and they can't wiggle out of that," she said.

Defense attorney Fred Orr said the government has not conducted an investigation into Bill Campbell—they've conducted "an inquisition." He contrasted the testimony of former Mayor Andrew Young with the allegations against Campbell—their frequent flying, for example, or the fact that city contractors donated to their campaigns—and seemed to be asking why those things were fine for one former mayor but not for this one.

Orr re-read statements of witness after witness who testified that Campbell had never asked them to do anything illegal, or who said they had no knowledge of Campbell breaking the law. He also questioned why some of Campbell's chief accusers--those the government said provided bribe money to the Mayor--were never called to testify by the prosecution.

Defense attorney Jerry Froelich said the government's jumbo jigsaw reminded him of his 3-year-old nephew, pounding puzzle pieces into place with his tiny fist because they just wouldn't fit. He said the government used questionable plea and immunity deals to craft their own puzzle pieces, and ignored evidence or testimony to the contrary because they didn't fit into the picture they were trying to form. As he detailed for jurors the inconsistencies in testimony and evidence and the agreements prosecutors made with untruthful witnesses or those who admitted to criminal behavior, he pounded his own fist on the podium, speaking incredulously.

Froelich reminded jurors of the defense witnesses whose testimony directly contradicted that of government witnesses—witnesses whom the government knew ahead of time had told federal agents or a grand jury details which were opposite of what their witnesses told Campbell's jury.

"Are we here about the truth? Are we here about justice? Is that why we're here?" Froelich asked.

After court, Campbell said he was proud of his lawyers.

"They're wonderful human beings as well as very fine attorneys," he said. "You know, it's the first time I've been in a courtroom where I thought there were tears brought to the eyes of so many."

Thursday, 9 March 2006