Leopold misconduct trial set for January 2013

Defense in Anne Arundel trial may reveal how other officials use protective teams

The criminal trial of Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold, was rescheduled Friday for January, after his defense attorney said this week that more time is needed to gather information on how other elected officials in Maryland use their security teams.

The two-week trial on charges that the Republican county executive, in the midst of his second term, used his police protection detail for personal and political gain, is now set to begin Jan. 16. This was the second trial postponement. Leopold, 69, has denied wrongdoing.

But the reason for the delay provides a peek into possible defense strategy. "It would appear that the Defendant is the first elected official to be singled out for alleged misuse of county or state personnel despite public accounts of other elected and appointed officials being afforded the identical treatment," his attorneys wrote to the court.

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