NEW YORK – Defense lawyers for two luxury real estate brokers and their brother say the men hope to prove at trial that many of the witnesses who will testify against them are lying.

The lawyers made the claim in papers filed in Manhattan federal court, saying they plan to use photographs and text messages, in part, to prove witnesses are lying.

Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who will preside over the trial, conducted a hearing on Thursday to decide some ground rules in advance of the trial, which is scheduled to begin on Jan. 5. She said she might delay the trial until May to give herself adequate time to decide legal issues.

Prosecutors said they might need as long as six weeks to present their case, while defense lawyers said they could take up to a week.

The three brothers — Oren, Tal

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