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Judge To Hear Bid To Move Gotti Trial To New York

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 20, 2008

TAMPA - A federal judge will hear arguments this morning over whether the trial of John A. "Junior" Gotti should be moved to New York.

Gotti's defense attorneys have asked Judge Steven D. Merryday to move the case to Gotti's home state on the grounds that most of the accusations contained in an indictment relate to events there. Gotti also argues that it would be prohibitively expensive for him to mount a defense in Tampa when his witnesses and attorneys are in New York.

Gotti is facing federal prosecution in Tampa on racketeering charges alleging he participated in a vast organized crime conspiracy involving murder, drug trafficking and witness tampering that extended from New York to the Tampa area

The defense has accused the prosecution of bringing the case in Tampa because federal authorities repeatedly failed to gain a conviction in New York.

The prosecution maintains Gotti headed an effort by the Gambino crime family to gain a foothold in the Tampa Bay area and that the trial should be in Tampa. Holding the trial here, the prosecution maintains, also limits Gotti's ability to inappropriately influence the jury.

Gotti's attorneys are expected to ask that the trial, scheduled for April, be postponed to at least June to give them time to review approximately 50,000 pages of prosecution evidence and 1,000 recordings, according to court pleadings.

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