diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/CycleCovariate.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/CycleCovariate.java
index e10334a77..6b4fec04e 100755
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/CycleCovariate.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/CycleCovariate.java
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@ import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.NGSPlatform;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.exceptions.UserException;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.sam.GATKSAMRecord;
 
-import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.EnumSet;
-import java.util.List;
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2009 The Broad Institute
diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/pileup/PileupElement.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/pileup/PileupElement.java
index daf6606ef..bab20b9e8 100755
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/pileup/PileupElement.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/pileup/PileupElement.java
@@ -95,11 +95,11 @@ public class PileupElement implements Comparable<PileupElement> {
     // --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     public boolean isReducedRead() {
-        return ((GATKSAMRecord)read).isReducedRead();
+        return read.isReducedRead();
     }
 
     public int getRepresentativeCount() {
-        return isReducedRead() ? ((GATKSAMRecord)read).getReducedCount(offset) : 1;
+        return isReducedRead() ? read.getReducedCount(offset) : 1;
     }
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ReadUtils.java b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ReadUtils.java
index e125b8c80..8d9018045 100755
--- a/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ReadUtils.java
+++ b/public/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ReadUtils.java
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ public class ReadUtils {
     public static GATKSAMRecord hardClipAdaptorSequence(final GATKSAMRecord read, int adaptorLength) {
 
         Pair<Integer, Integer> adaptorBoundaries = getAdaptorBoundaries(read, adaptorLength);
-        GATKSAMRecord result = (GATKSAMRecord)read;
+        GATKSAMRecord result = read;
 
         if ( adaptorBoundaries != null ) {
             if ( read.getReadNegativeStrandFlag() && adaptorBoundaries.second >= read.getAlignmentStart() && adaptorBoundaries.first < read.getAlignmentEnd() )