by TChris

Federal prosecutors have accused former Macomb County Prosecutor Carl Marlinga of public corruption for allegedly accepting contributions to his failed 2002 bid for election to Congress in exchange for prosecutorial favors. Marlinga has denied the charges, and the strength of the government's case may be questionable, given its apparent decision to dismiss related charges against state Sen. Jim Barcia (who allegedly funneled funds to Marlinga's campaign) and real estate broker Ralph Roberts (another contributor who allegedly obtained a favor in exchange for his contribution).

This is the second time in less than a year that the U.S. Attorney's Office [in Detroit] has sought dismissal of charges in a high-profile criminal case. Last August, it persuaded a federal judge to dismiss terrorism charges against two men who were convicted in Detroit in 2003 in the first trial to result from the federal 9/11 probe.