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Defense Rests In State Legislator's Fraud Trial

By Associated Press

Decatur, AL – Attorneys for former state Rep. Sue Schmitz have rested their case in her federal fraud trial in Decatur.

The defense attorneys rested Tuesday afternoon, on the trial's ninth day, after Schmitz told U.S. District Judge David Proctor that she would not testify.

Proctor said prosecutors and defense attorneys would make closing arguments Wednesday morning and that he expects jurors to begin deliberations Wednesday afternoon.

Prosecutors say Schmitz used political influence to obtain a job with a federally funded program and then rarely showed up for work.

Schmitz attorneys called more than a half dozen witnesses Tuesday who described Schmitz as honest, truthful and hard working.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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