Fourth Norman Case To Go Before Brooklyn Jury Today

A Brooklyn jury will begin deliberating today whether Clarence Norman Jr., the one-time Kings County Democratic Party leader, was corrupt or simply a polished politician.

While prosecutors portrayed a money-hungry extortionist who endorsed only candidates who could pay out tens of thousands of dollars to his friends, the defense drew a picture of a masterful strategist who knew whom to hire to guarantee Election Day victory.

Norman's three-week trial concluded yesterday. It was his fourth criminal trial in less than two years.

Jurors will focus on two candidates involved in 2002 bids for civil court judgeships whom Norman's political machine endorsed but then threatened to "dump" when one candidate, Karen Yellen, balked at paying two politically connected vendors to print ads and get out the vote. She said she wanted to use her own, less costly workers.

Ms. Yellen eventually paid some of what Norman demanded, but she and another candidate, Marcia Sikowitz, lost to underdogs who ran against the Democratic Party.

With the testimony by candidates, aides, and a former Norman aide, Jeffrey Feldman — who was initially charged in the case but agreed to cooperate with the government — the trial provided a rare public glimpse of Norman's machine, including such activities as bullying wayward candidates and dispatching operatives to tear down opponents' campaign literature.

Just as a defense attorney, Anthony Ricco, began his opening arguments on January 23 by invoking race to the mostly black jury and likening Norman to Martin Luther King Jr., the defense yesterday included racial overtones in its closing arguments. Mr. Ricco's co-counsel, Edward Wilford, blamed the candidates — at one point noting they were white and Jewish — for being reluctant to campaign in "black Brooklyn" because of advisers' "distorted racial views."

Prosecutor Michael Vecchione noted that Norman, 55, picked the white candidates and rejected two minorities, both of whom won. He said Norman cared about one color: green.

"Clarence Norman is no hero. Clarence Norman is no champion of civil rights," prosecutor said. "Clarence Norman is a thief."

The Brooklyn district attorney, Charles Hynes, has sought for almost five years to prove Norman was in the judgeship-selling business. Norman, a former 12-term state assemblyman, is out on bail facing up to six years in prison on 2005 convictions of soliciting illegal contributions and pocketing campaign donations.