Berlusconi Sex Trial Begins

The first hearing was over within a matter of minutes.

In what could be a sign of lengthy delays to come, the opening hearing in the Italian premier’s underage prostitution trial was over almost immediately after it began. Neither Silvio Berlusconi nor Karima El Mahroug, the woman he allegedly paid for sex while she was still 17, were in attendance, and the court heard opening arguments before quickly adjourning until May 31. Over the coming months, more than 20,000 pages of evidence and 40 witnesses will be brought before the court, and Berlusconi’s lawyers are expected to file legal challenges at every turn. The premier, who is facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted, is by now a courtroom veteran. He’s currently a defendant in three other trials.