New York City Mayor Eric Adams arrives to criminal court for pretrial hearing
LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams returned Wednesday to a Lower Manhattan courtroom for his pretrial hearing where a judge could decide when his criminal trial will get underway.
Amid growing criticism about whether he can still do his job, Adams has been adamant that he can still govern the city while he lets his lawyers do their jobs in the courtroom.
The mayor was charged in a five-count indictment, where he was accused of crimes including bribery, wire fraud and accepting improper campaign donations.
Judge Dale Ho will oversee the proceedings as Adams' lawyers have already filed motions calling for sanctions on federal prosecutors.
They allege prosecutors leaked grand jury information to the media. They're also trying to get the criminal case dismissed as Adams' lawyer argues that the bribery charge does not meet the legal definition of bribery.
"We expect the bribery charges to be dismissed on the pending motion the rest of this case is nothing but a campaign finance case," a lawyer for the mayor said.
Meanwhile, Adams is maintaining his innocence.
"I did nothing wrong and every elected official in this city that calls on behalf of a constituent should be concerned about what laid out here," he said.
On the eve of Wednesday's court appearance, on the steps of City Hall, Adams was joined by supporters, community members and faith leaders who rallied around him for prayer. Many asked New Yorkers not to rush to judgment on the indictment but rather focus on his service.
It was unclear whether the court would schedule a trial in advance of New York's June mayoral primary, where Adams is likely to face several challengers.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
ALSO READ: What is Mayor Eric Adams charged with? Read the indictment
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