PHOENIX (AP) - One of the lawyers representing former Sheriff Joe Arpaio in a criminal contempt-of-court case lost a bid Friday to delay the lawman’s upcoming trial.
Attorney Mark Goldman, who officially joined Arpaio’s legal team two weeks ago, had sought a 60-day delay because he has another trial a week earlier and his son’s bar mitzvah is scheduled for April 29.
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton wrote that Goldman knew when he joined the case that the trial was just five weeks away. Bolton also said Goldman shouldn’t have taken the case if he wasn’t available for the trial and added that Arpaio has other lawyers representing him.
Arpaio is charged with contempt for ignoring a court order in a racial profiling case to stop his immigration patrols.
He acknowledged prolonging his patrols, but he says his defiance wasn’t intentional. If convicted, the 84-year-old faces up to six months in jail.
The judge is considering whether to grant another postponement request by Goldman, who says he is unable to prepare and analyze a large volume of documents and videos in the case.
The ruling was part of a flurry of court filings this week in case against the former longtime sheriff of Maricopa County.
Earlier this week, attorneys for Arpaio asked Bolton to bar prosecutors from mentioning at trial comments that he made about immigration during his last three campaigns. They also want to prohibit the trial testimony of two people who were illegally detained when Arpaio prolonged his patrols.
Bolton hasn’t yet ruled on the requests to bar Arpaio’s campaign comments and victim testimony at trial.
Earlier this month, Bolton rejected Arpaio’s request for a jury to decide whether he should be convicted of the misdemeanor charge. Instead, the decision will be made by Bolton.
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