Judge sets "scheduling" conference call ahead of Roger Stone sentencing

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson has requested a Feb. 18 "scheduling" conference call in the Roger Stone case, two days before the former Trump associate is set to be sentenced.

Why it matters: Stone's defense team on Friday filed a sealed motion for a new trial — the second time they've done so — amid allegations of juror bias and a growing controversy over Attorney General Bill Barr's intervention in the case.

Background: Stone was charged and convicted for covering up his attempts to find out more about WikiLeaks' release of damaging emails about Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election.

• Career prosecutors had recommended that Stone be sentenced to seven to nine years in prison for crimes that include lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstruction of justice.
• A day after the sentencing memo was filed, the Justice Department overruled the recommendation in an astonishing move that has prompted allegations of political interference, especially in light of Trump's tweets about the case.
• All four career prosecutors withdrew from the case. Barr claims that the Justice Department planned to intervene prior to Trump tweeting that the sentencing recommendation was a "miscarriage of justice," and publicly advised the president to stop tweeting in an interview last week.

Go deeper: Over 1,100 former DOJ officials call for Barr's resignation