Decatur, AL – Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to reject a motion by a north Alabama legislator seeking to delay her trial on fraud charges.
State Rep. Sue Schmitz asked U.S. District Judge David Proctor to delay the start of her retrial from Feb. 10 until after the Legislature's 2009 session ends in May. The Democrat from Toney said her district would be without representation if she has to be in court.
Prosecutors said in a motion Tuesday that the retrial will likely last two weeks or less and it would be in the best interest of her district for the trial to be completed.
Schmitz is accused of taking more than $175,000 in pay from a job in the two-year college system and then performing little or no work.
Her first trial last summer ended in a mistrial.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)