The U.S. government hopes to get a straight answer today from Shelton developer James Botti on whether he plans to accept a plea deal they’ve offered him in his upcoming federal corruption case.
Botti and the U.S. prosecutors on the case will meet at the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Charles Haight in New Haven at 3 p.m. today.
The status conference will also determine set deadlines for specific pre-trial motions to be filed in the case, if Botti rejects the plea deal offered to him.
A jury-selection date for trial has already been set for Feb. 24, and a tentative trial start date is set for March 8.
The U.S. prosecutors requested the status conference to get an answer on a plea deal they offered Botti. In a motion filed with the court this month, the prosecutors said they’ve sent two letters to Botti’s attorney about the offer and haven’t heard back from him.
The motion doesn’t indicate what the offered resolution was, and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorneys office declined to say.
At a hearing in November, Botti’s attorney William Dow said he expected the case to go to trial.
Botti is facing a second federal trial for charges stemming from a November 2008 federal indictment that claims he bribed public officials in Shelton to get construction projects approved.
Botti was found guilty of structuring and conspiracy to structure payments during his first trial in November 2009. He was acquitted on charges he lied to an IRS agent.
