With the jury trial on August 28th approaching, last month Richard Maike moved to have the case declared complex and the trial delayed.

Maike’s motion was filed with his wife Angela, Doyce Barnes and Richard Anzalone. Faraday Hosseinipour later filed a response in support of the motion.

The DOJ didn’t object and so on August 16th Judge McKinley vacated the August 28th trial date.

As per the order, the DOJ and defendants must file a proposed litigation plan by September 6th. This includes a scheduled trial date.

In related news, Judge McKinley also ruled on Maike’s motion to disqualify a DOJ attorney.

Assistant United States Attorney Marisa Ford filed the April criminal complaint against Maike. She also lead the DOJ’s intervention in Maike’s defamation case against whistleblower Chuck King.

Maike alleged Ford

breached the Ethical Standard for Prosecutors Act by ‘providing legal assistance in any case in which the United States is a party of has a direct and substantial interest‘.

The DOJ claimed the motion was a ‘distracting red balloon, full of hot air but devoid of any substance‘.

Judge McKinley ruled Maike had

failed to raise a credible claim that AUSA Ford has a conflict of interest in her involvement with this criminal matter.

Contrary to the (Maike’s) argument, AUSA Ford did not engage in legal representation of King in the civil action.

Maike’s motion was denied, leaving AUSA Ford to continue working the case.

Our next update will be on or around September 6th. Stay tuned…

 

Update 21st September 2017 – As per a September 7th order, the defendants have been given until October 6th to file a Proposed Litigation Plan.