Judge rules Stanford trial will start Monday

Investors who entrusted billions of dollars to R. Allen Stanford’s company were getting returns on schedule until securities regulators intervened, The Houston Chronicle reports his lawyers told a judge Wednesday in a possible preview of his defense against fraud charges. During a pretrial hearing, U.S. District Judge David Hittner denied another plea from lawyers for the jailed Texas native to delay Stanford’s lengthy trial, scheduled to start Monday. Stanford and others are accused of running a $7 billion fraud scheme through Houston-based Stanford Financial Group. Last month, Hittner ruled Stanford is competent and refused to delay Stanford’s trial based on his lawyers’ contention that he remains mentally incompetent to assist them in his defense. Earlier last year, the judge agreed that Stanford had become addicted to medications prescribed for him after a jailhouse fight and ordered him into treatment. Stanford attorney Robert Scardino told the judge Stanford will likely testify during the trial, but Hittner ruled that the jury would not be allowed to hear about any competency issues. Scardino noted that the contested brain damage and treatment issues could help explain Stanford’s demeanor to the jury, to which Hittner retorted, “You’re still pushing that?” In court Wednesday, Stanford, handcuffed and in a green jumpsuit, occasionally closed his eyes and rested his head against a wall. Jury selection begins Monday, with attorneys selecting from a panel of 80 potential jurors. The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks. Get the full story here.