Former Dallas County Judge Tells Federal Jury John Wiley Price Threatened to Hit Him After Vote

Former Dallas County Judge Jim Foster testified Monday that John Wiley Price got in his face after a vote on tax breaks for certain landowners and threatened to punch him.Foster had just voted in May 2007 to approve a foreign trade zone federal designation for some property located in Dallas, Hutchins, Wilmer and Lancaster, as part of the "inland port." Price had wanted to delay the vote to allow the late inclusion of some land the Hillwood development company owned in DeSoto. Hillwood at the time had hired Price associate Kathy Nealy, as a consultant and lobbyist.Prosecutors say Nealy paid a $2,500 bribe to Price to help Hillwood with its foreign trade zone application, which provides tax free benefits for goods being stored at the inland port. Price is accused of accepting nearly $1 million in bribes from Nealy to help her clients with county contracts and other matters. She will be tried separately.But Foster and the other commissioners didn't want to delay the application process, so a separate vote was taken on the Hillwood property.Foster said Price "became very angry" after the vote. Price, he said, "leaned over right by my ear and whispered 'You sorry SOB, I should lay you over.'"  Continue reading...