Sheng Thao corruption trial witness cross-examination, Digi Mart USA News (Oakland, California): A key prosecution witness in the corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao traded sharp words with a defense attorney on Friday, his first full day of cross-examination. The exchanges grew heated almost immediately after Mario Juarez took the stand.
Juarez was often combative while being questioned. He was accused of being dishonest in real estate deals, bouncing checks and stealing money in other cases.
Juarez took a plea deal, admitting to conspiracy to commit bribery in exchange for testifying against Thao, her longtime partner Andre Jones, businessman Andy Duong and his father, David Duong.
David Duong’s attorney, Ed Swanson, questioned Juarez for hours about his ability to tell the truth and alleged that he had changed his statements. Swanson accused Juarez of leveraging his deal with the federal government.
Juarez said he had information, not leverage.
Swanson suggested Juarez could be lying. Juarez responded that if he did lie, his deal would collapse, he could face a stiffer sentence and the judge could hold him in contempt.
At one point, Juarez objected that a question was “long and compound.” On another occasion, he said one issue came down to “semantics.” Juarez later remarked that the defense attorney had a tough job representing his client. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers repeatedly had to interrupt the bickering.
The Duong family owns California Waste Solutions, Oakland’s recycling contractor. The family once operated Evolutionary Homes, a business that offered shipping-container homes for the unhoused, together with Juarez.
Juarez and the Duongs later had a falling out. He says that led to him being beaten up and robbed by associates of the Duongs, who took a watch and gold chain that belonged to his late father.
The government says both items were found at Andy Duong’s house during a raid by federal agents.
Juarez will return to the stand for more cross-examination on Monday.
