Closing arguments have begun in the Bell trial. The LAT has your summary. Since we’re talking about the closing arguments, it basically amounts to “same s–t, different day”.
[Deputy Dist. Atty. Edward] Miller lambasted the defendants’ work on four city authorities, and said the dozens of documents shown throughout the trial — including resolutions for pay raises — were “the instruments by which they stole $1.3 million from the citizens of Bell — proof that the pen is mightier than the sword when it comes to white-collar crime.”
The big question: why didn’t anybody call Edward Lee, the former City Attorney for Bell and the guy who supposedly signed off on all of this? He was listed as a witness for the prosecution, but was never called.
Oh, yeah, by the way: it was all the fault of “Ratso” Rizzo, “a vindictive control freak”.
And:
Talking about [indicted council member George] Cole, who testified that he had voted for a 12% annual raise because he feared then-City Administrator Robert Rizzo, Miller said: “Boy, I sure wish my boss would threaten me with a raise.”