James Robert Kingman
ASSISTANT Attorney General James Robert Kingman on Tuesday asked Judge Pro Tempore Arthur Barcinas to schedule a status conference and issue a scheduling order in the case against former Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, who is accused of misconduct in public office relating to first-class travel.
“The court has twice before requested that the parties provide their preferences for the trial to be set. For both parties, operating without a scheduling order is detrimental to the effective administration of justice,” Kingman said.
He noted that Torres will also be present for the judicial summons in CR 23-0127 on Jan. 22, at 9 a.m. Kingman is referring to the refiled contempt case against the former governor.
The original case against Torres was filed by the Office of the Attorney General on April 8, 2022. Torres was charged 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 case 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 Torres. Without prejudice means that the charge can be refiled.
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 Torres.
On Dec. 19, 2023, Judge Barcinas directed the prosecution to refile the penal summons against the former governor.
