LAWFUEL – The Legal Newswire – Sen. Larry E. Craig, who pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a men’s restroom sting, will have to wait several more days to learn whether a judge will allow him to move toward rescinding his plea.
Judge Charles Porter chose against making an immediate decision after hearing arguments from lawyers for the Idaho Republican. Instead, Porter said he would probably rule by the end of next week, well beyond Craig’s own deadline for leaving the Senate if his name was not cleared.
Craig is trying to salvage a 33-year legislative career after he was arrested in June at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport by an officer investigating lewd-conduct complaints in a men’s restroom. The officer said Craig used signals, such as tapping his foot and sliding his hand under the stall divider, to signal his desire for sex. In early August, Craig paid $575 in fines and fees and was given one year’s probation.
This morning, as he left home in the Washington, D.C., area, Craig spoke briefly with reporters, saying he hoped the judge would “allow me to prove my innocence.” A spokeswoman for Craig’s attorney, Billy Martin, told the Associated Press this morning that the senator would not attend the hearing in Minnesota.
The case was the object of much curiosity at the suburban Minneapolis courthouse. In one of the parking lots, a half-dozen television crews spent the night staking out space, while more media — and a handful of protesters poking fun at the senator’s troubles — began lining up.
