JUDGE Pro Tem Alberto Tolentino has granted the request of former Gov. Ralph DLG Torres to move his trial from Feb. 13 to June 5.
“The court has read both defendant’s and the Commonwealth’s submissions. However, due to unforeseen circumstances unrelated to this matter, the court is unable to proceed with the current Feb. 13, 2023 trial date,” Judge Tolentino said in his order on Thursday.
It was earlier reported that the judge was dealing with some “medical issues that arose over the holidays.”
He said he has granted the defendant’s motion pursuant to the court’s authority to control its own calendar, and does so without substantively ruling on the issues mentioned in the parties’ briefs.
The order also noted that the jury summons had yet to be issued, “reducing the inconvenience of moving the trial date.”
Judge Tolentino granted Torres’ motion for continuance of trial and vacated the previously scheduled Feb. 13 jury trial.
In December, Torres’ lead attorney, Victorino DLG Torres, formally requested the court to move the trial to June because of a trial schedule conflict with one his clients.
Chief Solicitor J. Robert Glass Jr., the prosecutor, opposed any continuation of the trial. He said the defendant can be represented by his other attorneys — Viola Alepuyo, Anthony Aguon, and Matthew J. Holley.
On April 8, 2022, the Office of the Attorney General filed a criminal case against the then-governor, alleging 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 complaint alleged that the former governor committed “misconduct in public office” on nine occasions from April to December 2018 in connection with his purchases of business class, first class and other premium travel tickets for himself and his wife, Diann T. Torres.
The complaint included theft charges related to the former governor’s travel expenses amounting to $20,000 between April 2018 and May 30, 2019, using public funds.
The case also alleged one count of contempt for failure to appear in compliance with a legislative subpoena.
Former Gov. Torres has denied the charges.
In September, Judge Tolentino dismissed without prejudice the contempt charge against the former governor. The judge found “impermissible exposure to privileged and confidential information that prevents Glass from prosecuting Gov. Torres for Count XIV (Contempt).”
Without prejudice means the charge can be refiled.
Ralph DLG Torres
