Nadine Menendez, the wife of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, failed to secure a delay for her Feb. 5 bribery trial after a Manhattan federal judge rejected her argument that her husband’s Jan. 29 sentencing could bias the jury in her case.
U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein issued a brief order Friday denying the motion without explanation, despite her counsel’s concerns about media attention surrounding Bob Menendez’s sentencing. The former senator, convicted of leveraging his office for personal benefit, is set to be sentenced alongside co-defendants Fred Daibes and Wael Hana just a week before jury selection begins for his wife.
Barry Coburn of Coburn & Greenbaum PLLC, Nadine Menendez’s attorney, argued that the proximity of the sentencing to her trial would hinder efforts to find impartial jurors. Coburn presented a declaration from jury consultant Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, who suggested the trial be postponed and recommended robust jury screening measures, including a detailed voir dire and instructions to emphasize an evidence-based verdict.