By FRED SHUSTER
LOS ANGELES — No decision was made Wednesday in a defense request for a mistrial in the corruption trial of former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan, who claims his attorney is too ill to return to court in a reasonable amount of time to complete the proceedings.
At a hearing on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John Walter asked for more information on attorney Harland Braun’s medical condition and scheduled a further status conference for April 11. The judge indicated that the jury should return to the downtown Los Angeles courthouse on April 24, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Chan, 66, of Monterey Park, is facing a dozen criminal counts, including racketeering conspiracy, bribery, honest services fraud and lying to federal agents for his alleged role in a complex pay-to-play scheme that prosecutors say soaked developers for millions of dollars in exchange for getting their building projects approved at City Hall.
Two weeks after the trial’s opening statements on Feb. 21, the judge called a three-week recess to give Braun time to recover from the sudden illness that required hospitalization.
A defense motion argued that a mistrial was necessary based upon Chan’s constitutional right to his chosen counsel and because Braun was rendered “physically unable to participate in the defense for at least several months.”
Federal prosecutors urged Walter to deny a mistrial. Allowing Braun to resume the trial upon his recovery “best protects defendant’s right to chosen counsel,” according to the government.
Additionally, prosecutors say the record regarding Braun’s medical condition — the details of which have not been disclosed to the public — does not support a finding that he is unable to complete the trial, and accommodations such as shorter trial days can be made so the attorney can comfortably carry out the defense.
The jury is time-qualified until May 30. Since the start of trial, the government has…
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