Federal prosecutors have denied claims by former Camden Mayor Milton Milan that they improperly sought to exclude potential black jurors from the panel that convicted him on corruption charges.

The response was part of a voluminous brief they filed last week with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia. It challenged contentions Milan made in a 105-page appeal he filed in September.

Prosecutors contend their jury choices were "race neutral" and made in good faith. They also said Milan received a fair trial and an appropriate sentence.

In his appeal, Milan accused prosecutors of withholding evidence and said the judge presiding over the case erred when he instructed the jury on the concept of reasonable doubt.

Milan was sentenced June 15 to 87 months in prison and ordered to pay $14,761 in restitution. He is serving the sentence in a federal facility in Loretto, Pa.

Milan was removed as mayor last year when he was convicted of accepting money from the mob, taking bribes from city contractors, laundering drug money and taking money from a political action committee.