But Antonio Di Pietro, a former magistrate who once prosecuted the prime minister for alleged corruption and now leads a small, stridently anti-Berlusconi party, said Berlusconi had "instigated" the violence by his actions.
Still, Judge Barry G. Williams, a black man who once prosecuted police misconduct cases for the feds, wanted to at least try to hold the trials locally, the idea being that it's essential citizens be tried by their peers in America's criminal justice system.
His office led a fraud investigation against the Bank of Credit and Commerce International that involved billions of dollars, and he once prosecuted a wealthy Venezuelan financier, along with his son and grandson, for defrauding Venezuelans of millions of dollars.
He once prosecuted a notorious drug cartel in Tijuana, Mexico, and was apparently targeted for assassination because of it.
The United States attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, Alice Martin, who had once prosecuted Mr. Siegelman, said in a recent statement that the investigation was about a "culture of corruption and entitlement," and she promised to pursue those involved in it.
His history with authorities dated back years, having once been prosecuted for sending offensive letters to families of Australian troops killed in Afghanistan.
The gunman was identified as 50-year-old Man Haron Monis, who once was prosecuted for sending offensive letters to families of Australian troops killed in Afghanistan.
