GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge has granted separate trials to former state Department of Marine Resources’ managers Tina Shumate and Joe Ziegler.
Shumate and Ziegler are the two remaining defendants in the public corruption case. Others, including the former agency director, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The Sun Herald reports (https://bit.ly/1o9DCBN) Ziegler has asked that his trial be postponed for personal reasons. U.S. District Judge Keith has not yet ruled on that motion.
Starrett granted the Shumate’s motion for separate trials Wednesday.
The attorney for Shumate, the agency’s former coastal resource management and planning director, argued she and Ziegler are charged in two separate alleged schemes to defraud the government. He said a combined trial would be “prejudicial” and violate his client’s constitutional right to a fair trial.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not oppose the motion from Shumate, court filings show.
Two other defendants, former agency executive director Bill Walker and his son, Ocean Springs businessman Scott Walker, have pleaded guilty to one conspiracy charge in the five-count indictment handed down against the four.
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Information from: The Sun Herald, https://www.sunherald.com
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