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A federal judge on Monday ruled that prosecutors may not use a clip from “The Godfather Part II” during the upcoming trial of Roger Stone.
Stone, a former political consultant to President Trump, is facing multiple felony charges, including witness tampering and lying to Congress.
Roger Stone (R), the former adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Court House with his wife Nydia Stone (L) on July 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
An indictment against Stone alleges that he pressured an associate to “do a Frank Pentangeli” in his testimony, a reference to a character from the 1974 film who backtracked his plans to provide Congress with an incriminating testimony on the Corleone crime family.
Stone had reportedly made the reference while urging radio host Randy Credico to change his testimony to Congress about their dealings with WikiLeaks during the 2016 election, Politico reported.
Prosecutors have suggested playing the “Pentangeli” clip during Stone’s trial. But U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee who is overseeing the case, ruled Monday that doing so could unfairly prejudice jurors.
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“The government will not be permitted to introduce the clip itself in its case in chief because the prejudicial effect of the videotape, which includes a number of extraneous matters, outweighs its probative value,” Jackson ruled Monday.
She did say, however, that prosecutors may use a transcript of the scene.
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Stone has pleaded not guilty to all of his charges. His trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 5 in Washington, D.C.
