An appellate court has rebuffed a former state senator’s complaint that he was not allowed to withdraw a guilty plea to corruption charges he allegedly made under pressure from a well-known defense attorney who was “incapable, unwilling and unprepared” for trial.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the conviction of Efraim Gonzalez Jr. for using public money for personal purposes, although the panel asked a district court judge to re-examine his calculation of $122,775 for restitution in the case.