Sue Hartigan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: New Judge To Hear McDougal Cases > LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- The federal judge who ordered > Susan McDougal jailed for 18 months for civil contempt > removed herself Thursday from presiding over the > Whitewater figure's trial on a criminal contempt > indictment. > > U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright cited previous > rulings against Mrs. McDougal in deciding not to hear > charges of criminal contempt and obstruction of > justice. The charges were returned by the Whitewater > grand jury that expired Wednesday. > > The indictment of President Clinton's former business > partner was the only one brought by the grand jury that > met for two years. > > Wright's recusal followed that of U.S. District Judge > Stephen M. Reasoner, who cited his friendship with > Wright and the possibility that attempts could be made > to force her to testify at Mrs. McDougal's trial. > > Mrs. McDougal's lawyer, Mark Geragos of Los Angeles, > would not say Thursday whether he would try to subpoena > the judge to testify. > > After Wright stepped down Thursday, the case was > randomly reassigned to U.S. District Judge George > Howard Jr., who also could refuse to hear it. > > Howard presided over Mrs. McDougal's 1996 trial, in > which she was convicted of bank fraud with former > husband Jim McDougal and former Gov. Jim Guy Tucker. > > Howard also is considering a motion by Geragos to count > the 18 months Mrs. McDougal spent jailed for contempt > against her two-year prison sentence for her 1996 > conviction and to reduce the sentence to time served. > > Mrs. McDougal is to be arraigned May 14 on her criminal > charges. No hearing has been set on the motion to free > her. -- Two rules in life: 1. Don't tell people everything you know. 2. Subscribe/Unsubscribe, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the body of the message enter: subscribe/unsubscribe law-issues
