MIAMI (CBS4) – The state is wrapping up its case against former Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones who is accused of bribery and grand theft.
During Monday’s proceeding, Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Rosa Rodriguez appeared somewhat skeptical of the prosecution’s case when Spence-Jones attorney issued a motion for a directed verdict of acquittal, according to CBS4 reporter Gary Nelson who was in the courtroom.
“I’m finding it difficult to understand the state’s theory in all this. What was the corrupt intent? I want to know that” said Judge Rodriguez.
“Ultimately, the money, whether her fingerprints are there or not, the money did not go to her personally,” Rodriguez noted.
In the end, Judge Rodriguez reserved her ruling on the motions for directed verdicts of not guilty. Last week, prominent Miami developer Armando Codina took the stand in Spence-Jones defense.
Prosecutors contend that at the request of the former commission’s office Codina and developer Richard Glas made $12,5000 donations each to the Friends of MLK Trust, which Spence-Jones ran from her office.
At the time, Codina was awaiting a vote from city commissioners on a downtown development project. Prosecutors contend Codina thought the money would be going to an event honoring former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Barbara Carey-Shuler. Investigators said they found that the money never went to the Carey-Shuler event and the Trust wasn’t established until months later.
Codina insisted the donation was in no way connected to the street renaming request he had made to the commission and he never discussed the issue with Spence-Jones or anyone in her office.
Codina said that after he looked into the Spence-Jones charity and was convinced the money wasn’t going “in her own pocket” he called a partner in the Brickell project (Glas) and suggested he might want to contribute as well.
Codina said he didn’t want to “poke Michelle Spence-Jones in the eye” by refusing to contribute to her charity.
“It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been asked to make a legitimate donation,” Codina said.
Spence-Jones is also facing a separate 2009 grand theft charge for allegedly steering $50,000 in county grant money to a family-run business, before her elected tenure in office. She’s pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
