James, who as leader of New Jersey's largest city for 20 years and a state senator for nine wielded enormous political influence, appeared subdued in court Tuesday as he began the first of two federal corruption trials.
The usually talkative politician declined to comment on the case, saying little to reporters besides "good morning" as he entered the courthouse Tuesday, just blocks from City Hall, his longtime base of power.
James, 72, is charged with five corruption counts, including conspiracy and fraud. His co-defendant, Tamika Riley, 38, faces those charges as well as eight others, including tax evasion. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Under federal sentencing guidelines, James could face seven to eight years in prison if he is convicted on all counts. But a judge could impose a much stiffer penalty — as much as 20 years on some individual counts.
Prosecutors have said they expect the first trial to last as long as three months, with 40 to 50 witnesses expected.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge William J. Martini spent nearly 30 minutes explaining the case to potential jurors, introducing the defendants and their attorneys and summarizing the pending charges.
Attorneys reviewed responses from 131 prospective jurors who filled out questionnaires. They were asked to answer 38 questions submitted by prosecutors and defense attorneys. The questions addressed issues ranging from newspaper reading habits and occupations to whether jurors believed they could judge the facts of the case without bias.
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