At a final pretrial conference with the federal judge Tuesday, attorneys worked through the logistics for the trial of former Georgia state Rep. Robin Williams and four others.
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Robin Williams: Former Georgia lawmaker's trial is scheduled to begin Monday.
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Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in U.S. District Court.
Mr. Williams and his four co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, theft, health-care fraud, money laundering, bribery and making false statements in dealings with a local mental health center.
According to a 31-page indictment issued in May, Mr. Williams, the former executive director of the Community Mental Health Center of East Central Georgia, the owner of a local pharmacy and two state lobbyists are accused of bilking the mental health center out of about $2 million through lucrative contracts and kickbacks.
Mr. Williams, former center Director C. Michael Brockman, pharmacist Duncan Fordham and lobbyists Rick L. Camp and M. Chad Long are all free on bond pending trial.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen Jr. worked through the logistics of trying the criminal case with three prosecutors and eight defense attorneys.
Judge Bowen asked the attorneys whether they wanted to excuse potential jurors from Augusta. Both sides said no, preferring to wait to see how jury selection progresses Monday.
Mr. Williams represented an Augusta district in the Georgia House of Representatives for nearly a decade, and he ran an unsuccessful campaign for mayor of Augusta.
Mr. Fordham owns Duncan Drugs in Augusta. Mr. Long is the grandson of former House Speaker Tom Murphy, and Mr. Camp was an Atlanta Braves pitcher.
Judge Bowen said he didn't expect testimony to begin until Tuesday.
Reach Sandy Hodson at (706) 823-3226 or sandy.hodson@augustachronicle.com.
