Indicted congressman wants charges dropped

Attorneys for U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., asked the full 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to consider dropping 14 of 16 criminal charges against him.

The lawyers cited constitutional issues of exceptional importance as they asked, in effect, that the entire court overrule a unanimous decision by its own three-judge panel, The New Orleans Times-Picayune said.

That panel recently rejected the argument that a Virginia grand jury improperly indicted Jefferson on corruption charges because it heard certain testimony about his congressional duties.

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