Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) entered a plea of not guilty today to seven charges of filing false financial disclosure forms. Stevens was indicted earlier this week. His lawyer, Brendan Sullivan of Williams & Connolly advised the court today that he would be filing a motion to have the venue of the trial changed to Alaska, where mist of the witnesses apparently reside, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The presiding judge indicated that he believed Washington was aan appropriate venue, but invited Mr. Sullivan to file the motion nonetheless.

My bet is that the motion will be denied. I would also be willing to wager that, unless he takes a plea, Stevens will have a very difficult time gaining an acquittal on these charges.* Really, good luck finding even a single juror who is not predisposed to believe that politicians in general, and old bulls like Stevens, are all corrupt to begin with. In any event, I’d say Brendan Sullivan has his work cut out for him here.

(*I am assuming that Stevens will opt for a jury trial. He’d be better off with a bench trial, in my estimation, but the arrogance of most elected politicians leads them to believe that they can persuade the “common folk” of pretty much anything).