Judge warns Stevens about missing court days

A federal judge warned Ted Stevens that missing court days for Senate business could give jurors the wrong impression that the Alaska Republican is not concerned about his corruption trial. 

Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia granted Stevens's request Tuesday to waive his court appearances to participate in legislative business on Capitol Hill. But he said that strategy could be risky.

{mosads}"We don't want to have any negative impressions going on," Sullivan told Stevens. "People reach the wrong impressions for the wrong reasons."

"This is a problem that may exist only for this week," said Brendan Sullivan, the lead defense attorney, referring the Senate's scheduled adjournment date of Sept. 26. But it's increasingly likely that the Senate stays into October to handle the fallout of the financial crisis, and Stevens's trial will likely consume the next four weeks.

Stevens, who faces reelection in November but was indicted in July on seven felony counts of making false statements, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Tuesday marks the second day of jury selection, and opening arguments may begin as soon as Wednesday.

If Stevens misses court days, the judge said he would try to "dispel any sinister notion" by telling the jury that the senator waived his appearance to do his work on the Hill.

Stevens's team also announced Tuesday that they may call former World Bank President James Wolfensohn as a character witness to testify on the senator's behalf.