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Trial for ex-Glendale councilman expected to take place next year

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The trial for former Councilman John Drayman, who is charged with embezzling at least $304,000 from the farmer’s market in Montrose, isn’t expected to take place until next year after a judge on Thursday gave his new public defender more time to prepare.

At a hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Judge Stephen A. Marcus pushed Drayman’s pre-trial hearing to November — with his trial slated for some time next year — so his new attorney can review all the evidence collected during a year-long investigation.

“There’s a lot of discovery,” county Deputy District Atty. Susan Schwartz said outside the courtroom.

Drayman was indicted in May on charges of filing false tax returns to hide the alleged embezzlement, which police say took place from 2004 to 2011 and could have reached up to $880,000. He was also indicted on money laundering and forgery charges.

Glendale police reviewed stacks of bank records, tax returns, computer forensic evidence and farmer’s market records during their investigation.

Earlier this month, Drayman — who has maintained his innocence — swapped a high-powered criminal attorney for a public defender at taxpayer’s expense.

His former attorney, Michael Kraut, had said he planned to show in court that someone else stole the money from the Montrose Harvest farmer’s market. On Thursday, Drayman’s new attorney, Deputy Public Defender John Powers, said he had no comment on the matter.

Drayman met Powers for the first time in court Thursday prior to the hearing.

-- Brittany Levine, Times Community News

Follow Brittany Levine on Google+ or Twitter: @brittanylevine

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