Gestures from the Gallery? Another Bizarre Twist in the Ted Stevens Trial

[WSJ_law_blog]

We try not to give undue coverage to the Ted Stevens trial. We really do. But the case, with its myriad oddities, has become a blogger’s dream.

The latest: U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan has accused a lawyer, Dorsey & Whitney’s Robert Bundy, of trying to send secret signals to his client, the government’s star witness, former Veco CEO Bill Allen, during Allen’s cross-examination. Here’s an AP story.

”He’s fortunate he went out that door and not the back door with the marshals,” an angry Judge Sullivan reportedly said about Bundy (pictured), who was sitting in the public gallery yesterday facing his client.

Allen, who pleaded guilty to bribing state lawmakers and agreed to testify against Stevens in exchange for immunity for his family and a possible break at sentencing, resumed testifying today. But before allowing Allen to start, Judge Sullivan and Stevens’s defense team — led by Williams & Connolly’s Brendan Sullivan (no relation) — both say they saw Bundy making signals to Allen while defense lawyer Sullivan was questioning the witness.

Apparently, the judge had questioned Bundy about this yesterday, notes the AP, and said he was thinking about questioning him again this morning, calling it ”borderline obstruction of justice.” But Bundy didn’t come to court today. According to his partner, Creighton Magid, Bundy didn’t think he’d be welcome. ”He is torn up about this,” said Magid, who also said Bundy ”vehemently denies” making any signals to Allen.

Magid said he would represent Allen if needed during the resumption of his testimony Tuesday.