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February 18, 2008

Oster trial: Sides rest, closing arguments tomorrow

PROVIDENCE -- The bribery and conspiracy case against ex-Lincoln Town Administrator Jonathan F. Oster could go to the jury on Wednesday, after the prosecution and defense rested their cases today.

Both sides are due for closing arguments tomorrow in Providence County Superior Court. Both have been arguing over admissibility of evidence not directly related to the four counts against Oster, who served as town administrator from 2000 to 2002.

And Judge Gilbert V. Indeglia had promised the defense he would provide the jury with instructions on how it can legally consider a videotape of a meeting between Oster and Robert R. Picerno -- the former Lincoln Planning Board member who has since pleaded no contest to bribery and conspiracy -- on Feb. 16, 2002. The state has said the tape is crucial to its case.

The judge has predicted the case will go to the jury on Wednesday.

Oster faces two counts of bribery and two counts of conspiracy in the case. The state alleges that he and Picerno attempted to extort bribes from would-be buyers of town-controlled land known as the H&H Screw Co. site on Route 116. The state says Picerno collected the payoffs while Oster was to get the town to sell the land for $105,000.

Read about Friday's testimony.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Journal staff writer John Hill

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 3:47 PM | Permalink

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