Zumba Prostitution Case: Judge in Mark Strong trial refuses to throw out charges
(CBS/AP) ALFRED, Maine - The judge in the trial of Mark Strong Sr., an insurance agent accused of helping fitness instructor Alexis Wright use her Zumba studio as a front for prostitution, has refused a request to throw out the remaining 13 counts against Strong.
PICTURES: Zumba instructor accused of prostitution
Lawyers for Strong accused prosecutors of repeatedly missing deadlines for discovery materials, with more than 100 pages of police reports and notes, videos and audio recordings being provided to the defense on Tuesday, the fourth day of testimony at his trial.
Defense lawyer Tina Nadeau urged the judge to punish prosecutors by dismissing the 13 charges against him.
"Enough is enough," she said.
But Justice Nancy Mills said there were other remedies, including delaying testimony to give the defense more time to review the material or providing a special instruction to jurors. The defense opted for the latter.
On another matter, Mills ordered prosecutors to give Strong's lawyers a second personnel-type file involving a Kennebunk police officer. The defense contends police targeted the 57-year-old Strong, who held a private investigator's license, for criminal charges because he was conducting an investigation into unprofessional conduct by Kennebunk police.
Still up in the air was how many pornographic images jurors would see. The judge had yet to rule on a request to prune back the 577 images prosecutors wanted to introduce.
The images were found on Strong's computer, and prosecutors contend they show Strong knew his mistress, Zumba dance instructor Wright, was a prostitute. The defense says pornography possession isn't a crime and the photos could taint the jury.
Strong helped Wright launch her dance-fitness studio by co-signing for her lease and loaning money with commercial notes that were repaid with interest. But he contends he knew nothing about allegations of prostitution.
Both Strong and Wright have pleaded not guilty.
Wright will be tried later for dozens of charges that include prostitution and tax violations.
The prostitution scandal attracted international attention after it was reported that Wright had ledgers indicating she made $150,000 over 18 months and had more than 150 clients.
Complete coverage of the Zumba Prostitution Scandal on Crimesider
