A well-known Allegheny County defense attorney spent nearly two hours testifying before a grand jury yesterday in the federal investigation of Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey A. Manning.

Robert E. Stewart was subpoenaed to testify about Steelers season tickets that he bought from the judge beginning in 2004, said Mr. Stewart's attorney, Tom Ceraso.

While his client was testifying, Mr. Ceraso held an impromptu news conference with reporters gathered outside the grand jury room. He also represents defense attorney Patrick J. Thomassey in the Manning investigation.

"They are friends, but I don't think that being friends -- at least last time I looked -- was a federal crime," Mr. Ceraso said.

He said he had no further information about what, exactly, is being investigated.

"They're looking, looking, looking into anything and everything, and there's no specificity to anything."

Mr. Stewart, who served as Judge Manning's campaign treasurer in his 1999 retention election, went into the grand jury room about 10:30 a.m. and emerged two hours later. The only information he had to share was about football tickets, Mr. Ceraso said.

The judge had season tickets dating at least to the late 1980s, and Mr. Stewart started buying them from him in 2004. The men shared them in 2005.

"That was the extent of it," Mr. Ceraso said. "He didn't get any [court] appointments. There wasn't any sort of quid pro quo.

"There's never been any situation where any favor was granted."

Federal investigators were believed to be examining whether some lawyers got preferential treatment in being appointed by judges to serve as counsel to indigent defendants.

Mr. Ceraso said that was not the case with either of his clients.

Mr. Thomassey, who has been friends with Judge Manning for many years, has taken several sailing trips with the judge. Typically, Mr. Ceraso said, they share the costs.

In one instance that he could recall, Mr. Thomassey paid for a plane ticket, and Judge Manning reimbursed him by paying for meals.

It's not unusual for defense attorneys and judges to socialize, Mr. Ceraso said.

Though Mr. Stewart has had records, including letters and financial documents, related to the Steelers tickets subpoenaed by federal investigators, he had not previously been interviewed by them, and neither has Mr. Thomassey, Mr. Ceraso said.

He said Mr. Thomasssey has not yet been subpoenaed and has turned over no records.

He complained that the investigation has been done publicly and is damaging the reputations of his clients, as well as the judge.

"I understand the fact the government has a right to make inquiry. In this instance, reputations are being affected," he said.

The investigation into Judge Manning first surfaced in January. Then, Sheriff's Deputy Gim Yee was called to testify.

Deputy Yee, who at the time worked primarily in Judge Manning's courtroom, told jurors he checked out two guns that were evidence in a case and used them in a National Rifle Association-sponsored gun safety course at the Carrick Sportsmen's Club. He said the judge gave him permission to sign out the guns.