An Alabama judge has given House Speaker Mike Hubbard a week to ask for a delay in his impending ethics trial currently scheduled to overlap with the upcoming legislative session.
Lee County Judge Jacob Walker gave Hubbard's lawyers a Jan. 15 deadline to file a motion to continue after a departure in his legal team. Hubbard's lead lawyer, Mark White, was given permission to withdraw from the ethics case Friday. White cited an undisclosed conflict of interest as his reason for leaving the team.
Hubbard faces 23 counts of violating Alabama's ethics law, using his political position to obtain business investments. The House Speaker is currently scheduled to go to trial March 28.That trial date coincides with the 2016 regular legislative session.
Defense lawyer Lance Bell told Judge Walker in a hearing Friday that, given White's departure, it was unlikely the defense could be ready for trial in March.
State prosecutors told the judge that they would oppose another delay in the trial, which has already been postponed once.