Matt Miller & Rosemarie Alexander, KTOO – Juneau
A request for a trial delay for former state Representative Bruce Weyhrauch will be considered in U.S. District Court Friday.
Judge John Sedwick has scheduled a status hearing to determine if Weyhrauch’s September 13 trial date should be vacated indefinitely.
Weyhrauch, a Republican was indicted in 2007 for using the U.S. mail to solicit a job from VECO while the legislature was considering oil tax legislation.
Weyhrauch’s attorney Doug Pope says it makes no sense to begin preparation for a September trial until the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled on the admissibility of evidence relating to Weyhrauch not declaring a potential conflict of interest before he voted on the 2006 legislation.
The case was sent to the Ninth Circuit in June by the U.S. Supreme Court. Briefs are due by August 9.
Meanwhile, Pope says prosecutors tell him they’re not planning to call former VECO CEO Bill Allen and FBI agent Mary Beth Kepner as witnesses. Allen is in prison and Kepner herself is under investigation.
Allen was the chief government witness in the botched case against former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens.
Pope said he hopes to call Allen in Weyhrauch’s case.
Prosecutors’ response to Pope’s motion to vacate Weyhrauch’s September trial has not been submitted to the court yet. But they have told Pope – and it’s detailed in his court filing – that they don’t want a trial to be held in Juneau.
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