John Edwards charges won't be dropped by judge

[kpete]

Source: Politico

John Edwards charges won't be dropped by judge

A judge has rejected a bid by former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) to have criminal campaign finance charges against him dismissed before his case goes to trial, the Associated Press and North Carolina news outlets reported Thursday.

After hearing arguments from prosecutors and defense attorneys at a day-long hearing Wednesday in Greensboro, U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles announced Thursday morning that she was denying all of Edwards’s motions to dismiss the case, the AP reported.


However, Eagles said the two-time Democratic presidential candidate and 2004 vice presidential nominee was free to renew the motions later if he wished, the wire service said.

The decision means that unless a plea bargain deal is reached Edwards is likely to go to trial in January on charges that he accepted illegal campaign contributions and caused the filing of false campaign finance reports.




Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66994.html#ixzz1c04NwZoZ