Berlusconi slammed with charges yet again

Often the subject of international punchlines and tabloid fodder, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's troubles took a turn for the serious today when he was ordered to stand trial on charges he paid a 17-year-old Moroccan dancer nicknamed Ruby for sex, and then used his political influence to cover it up.

Though he's publicly slammed the charges, the oft-beleaguered Berlusconi could be barred permanently from public office if convicted, the Associated Press is reporting. Though his latest trial won't begin until April 6, the 74-year-old Italian premier is no stranger to legal battles, with his first well-publicized case dating back to mid-1994, shortly after he first entered politics that January.
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