Alain Leibman was quoted in the Law360 article "NJ Pol's Secret Code Bolstered Evidence in Corruption Trial." While the full text can be found in the February 14, 2014, issue of Law360, a synopsis is noted below.
The mayor of Trenton, N.J., could be days from unemployment following federal conspiracy and fraud convictions, despite the use of an elaborate code system in an attempt to thwart investigators' wiretap.
According to Alain Leibman, the conviction is further proof to how widespread wiretaps have become.
While Leibman noted that wiretap surveillance is laborious and complex to initiate and manage, he said investigators are using it more frequently because of the evidence it produces.
"It's universally true that the evidence that most concerns defense attorneys and most excites the government is a recording," Leibman said. "It's compelling to a jury and very difficult to surmount."
The mayor's secret code was an added bonus, Leibman said, because it echoes Hollywood movies that jurors may already recognize.
"Everyone watches 'The Sopranos' and 'GoodFellas' and has an understanding of that world and how they use code words," Leibman said. "You very rarely hear something like that outside of an organized crime investigation, and here it wasn't really necessary to use the code."
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
