Fairness question postpones hearing

What was supposed to be a formal arraignment lasted less than five minutes.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
AUSTIN, Texas -- Round One in the courtroom battle between U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and Democratic prosecutor Ronnie Earle opened Friday, but the first jabs were fired at the referee -- state District Judge Bob Perkins.
DeLay's lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, told Judge Perkins that he should remove himself from the coming money-laundering and conspiracy trial because of his activities on behalf of the Democratic Party and a liberal-leaning activist group.
As a result, Judge Perkins postponed what was scheduled to be DeLay's formal arraignment in Travis County district court and said he would ask a Republican administrative judge in a neighboring county to decide whether someone else should preside over the politically charged trial.
"All we want is a fair trial and a fair tribunal," DeGuerin said afterward.
Animosity
During the hearing, which lasted less than five minutes, DeGuerin pointed out that Judge Perkins has given money to the Democratic Party in recent months at state and national levels. He also noted that Judge Perkins, an elected judge who runs on the Democratic ticket, had given money last year to MoveOn.org, a national network harshly critical of DeLay and other Republicans.
Judge Perkins rejected any notion that he was part of any anti-DeLay campaign.
"The last time I contributed to MoveOn that I know of was prior to the November election last year, when they were primarily helping Sen. [John] Kerry," Judge Perkins said, referring to the 2004 Democratic nominee for president.
The more animated sparring came during the round-robin news conferences after court was adjourned.
DeLay, using the pink granite dome of the nearby state Capitol as a backdrop, stepped up the assault on Earle that he has been waging ever since Earle announced the indictments against him last month. The charges accuse DeLay and three associates of conspiring to circumvent Texas' campaign finance laws during the 2002 elections.
"I have committed no wrongdoing," DeLay told reporters. "I know that, and more importantly, Ronnie Earle knows that. ... The only reason I had to be in that courtroom today was because Ronnie Earle has abused his prosecutorial powers."