FORMER Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ trial for contempt of a legislative subpoena will start on Nov. 12, 2024 at 10 a.m., according to Judge Pro Tem Arthur Barcinas.
The judge also scheduled a pre-trial conference for Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. via Zoom, and set the discovery cutoff for Aug. 14, 2024.
A scheduling order obtained by Variety noted that a hearing was held on May 17, 2024 for “the Commonwealth’s motion to stay.”
Attorney Joaquin Torres appeared for the defendant while Assistant Attorney General James Robert Kingman represented the Commonwealth government. At the hearing, the court announced that it would set trial dates.
In December 2021, then-Governor Torres, a Republican, was found by a Democrat-Independent-led House Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee in contempt of a legislative subpoena for refusing to appear before the panel, which was investigating his public expenditures.
On April 8, 2022, the Office of the Attorney General charged the former governor with 12 counts of misconduct in public office and one count of theft relating to the issuance of airline tickets for business class, first class, or other premium class travel for himself and/or Diann T. Torres, his wife. The OAG also alleged one count of contempt for failure to appear in compliance with a legislative subpoena.
The former governor has denied the charges.
On Aug. 23, 2022, Judge Pro Tem Alberto Tolentino dismissed without prejudice the contempt charge against the former governor.
The judge said evidence indicated that the prosecutor, J. Robert Glass Jr., was exposed to “privileged information regarding non-appearance to a legislative subpoena as charged in Count XIV — Contempt.”
On Oct. 26, 2023, Kingman refiled a separate charge of contempt and misconduct in public office against the former governor.
