The recordings of the deceased senator must be prohibited from the next corruption trial, says the lawyer

State senator Emil Jones III The lawyer says that the registered statements of his deceased colleague, Martin Sandoval, should be prohibited from the next Jones trial because there will be no opportunity to interrogate him.

Defensor lawyer Victor Henderson presented the motion on Tuesday, before a conference prior to Friday’s trial in the criminal case of Jones. Jones, who remains in the Illinois Senate two and a half years After being accused of briberyFace the trial on April 7.

Jones is accused of accepting a study of traffic application systems only to Chicago in exchange for $ 5,000 and money for an associate. Supposedly, the payments were offered by an executive of the Red Light who expressed fear that a broader study could damage its business.

Jones is also accused of lying to the FBI.

The Executive, Omar Maani, reached a so -called deferred prosecution agreement with the federals in 2020 and confirmed that he had been cooperating with them. It is now expected to testify if the case of Jones goes to the trial as planned.

Sandoval He declared himself guilty of bribery In January 2020 and also formalized its cooperation with federal researchers. However, Sandoval died in December 2020. Henderson wrote in his five -page motion on Tuesday that “allow testimonial statements as evidence without the ability to interrogate the speaker (viola) the rights of the sixth amendment of the accused.”

Henderson specifically indicated recordings of March 22, 2019, April 3, 2019 and April 11, 2019. He wrote that “they characterize (or erroneously characterize) the conversations (Sandoval) supposedly had with Senator Jones and/or contain the impression of Sandoval of the thoughts and feelings of Senator Jones with respect to the legislation of the Red Light and the meeting with Maani.”

Prosecutors have said they have recordings of conversations between Sandoval and Maani on each of those dates.

“Maani will witness and will have the ability to testify that Sandoval helped organize meetings between him and Senator Jones,” Henderson wrote.

Separately, Henderson also asked the American district judge Andrea Wood to force prosecutors to let her inspect notes written by interviews that Jones had with the FBI. Henderson wrote some of those interviews, but not others.

“In particular, an interview report that the FBI decided not to register the states that Senator Jones made certain statements, which the senator firmly denies,” Henderson wrote.

New details about the case of the federals Against Jones came to light last month, involving a set of 2019 conversations between Jones and Maani in Steak 48.

Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register through the AP file