By Gina Tabonares
Variety News Staff

THE criminal trial setting on the felony charges filed against former Guam Superior Court administrator Anthony Sanchez was pushed back for a month after his co-defendant, California lawyer Howard Hills, asked the court for the continuance of his scheduled arraignment.
Hills was scheduled for an arraignment today but Judge Arthur Barcinas granted his lawyer’s request for a continuation to March 29, the same date as Sanchez’ next appearance for the trial setting of the case.
Sanchez earlier pleaded not guilty to the felony charges filed against him and Hills in connection with the local court’s almost $500,000 payments to disgraced Washington, D.C. lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
A local grand jury charged him with unlawful influence as a third-degree felony, conspiracy for unlawful influence as a third-degree felony, theft of property held in trust as a second-degree felony, and official misconduct as a misdemeanor on Dec. 13, 2006.
Sanchez, who now works in the Office of the Governor, was released on his own personal recognizance but was ordered to report to his probation officer at least twice a week.
Hills, who was a legal consultant of the local court when the alleged conspiracy took place, was also indicted by the grand jury and was charged with conspiracy for unlawful influence as a third-degree felony.
His arraignment has been scheduled in the courtroom of Judge Michael Bordallo.
Sanchez reportedly retained Abramoff in 2002 to lobby against a bill proposing to put the Superior Court under the authority of the Guam Supreme Court.
To pay the lobbyist, the local court funneled 36 checks in amounts of $9,000 each to the account of Hills, who is based in Laguna Beach, California.
An Office of the Public Auditor audit disclosed that $564,039 was spent from local appropriations to lobby for a congressional measure regarding Guam’s judiciary. Although the Judicial Building Fund was not utilized to pay for the lobbying, neither the Superior Court nor the Supreme Court solicited requests for proposals.
Hills, who earlier admitted collecting the checks for Abramoff, denied his ties with the convicted lobbyist and maintained that he only followed Sanchez’s instruction.