Defense in closing arguments

Seth Hettena

Friday, July 8, 2005 | 11:06 a.m.

SAN DIEGO -- Defense attorneys began closing arguments Thursday in the case of two San Diego councilmen accused of accepting money from a Las Vegas strip club owner in exchange for a failed effort to lift restrictions preventing nude dancers and patrons from touching each other.

Councilmen Michael Zucchet and Ralph Inzunza have been on trial since May along with Lance Malone, a former Clark County commissioner and lobbyist for Las Vegas strip club owner Michael Galardi, who owned a San Diego club called Cheetahs.

The councilmen were indicted in 2003 on charges of fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Zucchet and Inzunza also were charged with extortion. Prosecutors allege the councilmen received cash bribes and campaign contributions totaling $34,500 between July 2001 and April 2003

Michael Pancer, Inzunza's attorney, said his client was not a greedy politician who would sell out his office for a few thousand dollars. Inzunza ended his 2002 election campaign with a surplus of campaign dollars and shared his loyal contributors with other candidates he supported, such as Zucchet, Pancer said.

"What this adds up to was there was no motive, no reason for Ralph Inzunza to break the law," he said.

If they are convicted, the councilmen and Malone could face three to four years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Rice wrapped up seven hours of closing arguments for the prosecution earlier Thursday by saying that the councilmen conspired to hide their actions from San Diegans.

"The evidence in this case shows, ladies and gentlemen, that throughout the life of this conspiracy, the defendants were creating cover stories to help them out if anybody started asking questions," Rice said.

The cover stories included a plan to disguise the repeal of the no-touch law as a crackdown on strip clubs and a bogus e-mails and a counterfeit concerned citizen. The effort never made it on to the City Council agenda, but the prosecutor said that didn't make it legal.

"Just because it may have been a lousy plan or a plan that never worked in the end doesn't a crime wasn't committed," Rice said.

Galardi, a key prosecution witness, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. He also has pleaded guilty in a parallel corruption probe in Las Vegas, which is scheduled for trial in January.

Pancer is expected to resume closing arguments Friday.