PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A judge’s illness has delayed the start of a ticket-fixing case involving Philadelphia traffic court judges.
U.S. District Judge Lawrence Stengel is stepping in after a colleague fell ill over the weekend.
Stengel expects to start jury selection Wednesday, two days behind schedule.
A federal indictment portrays the now-abolished traffic court as a pit of patronage and corruption.
Federal prosecutors charged nine judges with dismissing or reducing citations for friends, relatives, business associates and political allies.
Several defendants have pleaded guilty. Six others, including several former judges, are awaiting trial.
Philadelphia traffic cases are now being handled by the city’s municipal court.
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