Feds Accuse Lawyer Of Coaching Witness To Lie

CHICAGO (AP) -- A high-profile defense attorney in Chicago has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly encouraging a witness to lie on the stand on behalf of the lawyer's purported drug-dealer client.

According to an indictment announced Thursday, 36-year-old Beau B. Brindley faces multiple counts of perjury, one count of obstruction of justice and one of conspiracy to obstruct justice.

The indictment accuses him of telling the witness to react surprised or shocked to some questions prosecutors would put to her. Then during the trial itself, Brindley allegedly asked if he'd ever coached her testimony. She denied he did.

A conviction on the obstruction of justice count alone carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence.

A phone message seeking comment from Brindley's attorney, Cynthia Giacchetti, wasn't immediately returned.

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