Former Reynolds and Reynolds Co. CEO Bob Brockman will stand trial on legal tax evasion costs in February 2023, a federal choose mentioned Tuesday.
Attorneys for Brockman, 81, additionally informed a choose that Brockman is “in very poor shape” each bodily and mentally, and it’s troublesome to speak with him.
Brockman’s trial is ready to start out Feb. 23, U.S. District Judge George Hanks Jr. mentioned throughout a standing convention. Prosecutors wrote in a current courtroom submitting that they anticipate the trial will final about 5 weeks.
The trial date follows Hanks’ choice final month that Brockman is competent to help in his protection on 39 counts together with tax evasion, wire fraud, cash laundering and proof tampering. He was indicted in October 2020 and pleaded not responsible.
Lawyers for Brockman mentioned throughout Tuesday’s standing convention that his well being has continued to say no since a competency listening to was held in November 2021. In a standing replace filed this month, attorneys wrote that Brockman was hospitalized in late April and early May “and was released into home hospice care.”
Defense lawyer Jason Varnado informed Hanks on Tuesday that Brockman “is receiving 24-hour, around-the-clock care” and “is largely bedridden at this stage.”
In May, his attorneys wrote in courtroom filings that Brockman was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital on April 18 with a urinary tract an infection, pneumonia and sepsis, and was launched after a 14-day hospitalization. They wrote that he couldn’t swallow and required a feeding tube.
Hanks on Tuesday requested about Brockman’s present situation and informed protection attorneys to supply updates on Brockman’s well being earlier than the February trial date.
Hanks dominated that prosecutors met the burden of proof mandatory to search out Brockman competent to face trial, citing partly Brockman’s continuation on the helm of dealership administration system large Reynolds and Reynolds after his attorneys raised considerations about his cognitive impairment. Hanks wrote that Brockman’s skilled conduct conflicted with how he offered to his docs and on cognitive testing.
Brockman’s attorneys sought the competency listening to in December 2020, following evaluations by his docs in 2018 and 2019 and a prognosis of dementia that brought on challenges with retaining and processing data. Prosecutors argued that Brockman was faking signs to keep away from prosecution.
Lawyers for the federal government informed Hanks they’ve acquired medical data from Brockman’s attorneys associated to his most up-to-date hospitalization.
Prosecutors and protection attorneys mentioned they’d work collectively on a schedule for pretrial motions and discovery by the top of this week.
Hanks additionally mentioned Tuesday that he would schedule oral arguments, probably in late July, in a separate civil case Brockman filed in opposition to the federal authorities asking for the lifting of a $1.4 billion IRS jeopardy evaluation. Government attorneys have claimed that the jeopardy evaluation is critical as a result of Brockman seems to be trying to maneuver property out of attain of the U.S. authorities, which Brockman’s counsel has denied.
Source: www.autonews.com
