Judge Denies Dismissal Motions in Shelnutt Case- Hearing Continues Wednesday

Federally indicted Columbus attorney Mark Shelnutt will have another day in court Wednesday. 
Shelnutt spent the day before Judge Clay Land, trying to get 38 of the 40 counts against him dismissed.
The defense team argued that the government lacked evidence, used ambiguous statements and had insufficient facts in the indictment; Judge Land ruled that there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
In the indictment, Shelnutt is accused of money laundering, aiding and abetting a cocaine conspiracy, witness tampering, and attempted bribery.
The charges stem from his representation of Torrence Hill who was nabbed in the largest drug bust in Columbus history.
The defense also argued that the entire indictment should be thrown out because of alleged “outrageous conduct” by the government.
Shelnutt’s lawyers argued that government agencies didn’t take a death threat against Shelnutt seriously and that he was never informed that he was the target of an investigation.
After hours of testimony from FBI agents, lawyers and Shelnutt’s former clients, the judge said that there was not enough evidence to throw out the entire indictment at this point
Shelnutt’s attorneys raised other concerns; one being a conversation between Shelnutt, an FBI agent and an assistant US attorney that was reportedly taped without Shelnutt’s knowledge.
On the stand, an assistant US attorney says he lied when Shelnutt asked if the conversation was being taped.
It’s not clear if that violated any policies but the judge called it “troubling”.
Shelnutt is scheduled to appear in court again tomorrow morning, where the judge is expected to make a ruling after a few more testimonies.
Shelnutt’s trial is set for September.