Senators Accuse Mecham Lawyers of Delaying Progress of Trial

Senate leaders accused Gov. Evan Mecham’s defense team Thursday of using costly stall tactics that threaten to drag out the historic impeachment trial “until December.”

The complaints came after defense attorney Fred Craft, a former lobbyist for the Republican governor, spent most of the trial’s fourth day cross-examining a single witness.

“I believe it’s inappropriate to harass a witness with repetitive questions and to waste the time of this court and the money of the taxpayers by devoting more resources than necessary to this proceeding,” said Senate Majority Leader Robert Usdane (R-Scottsdale).

Spectator Speaks Out

Earlier in the afternoon, Craft had been cut short during cross-examination by a spectator who stood up in the gallery and shouted: “You make me sick! I’ve gotta get out of here!” Security guards escorted him to the door. Craft grinned nervously and a 15-minute recess was called.

Later, Senate President Carl Kunasek objected to Craft’s line of questioning after he asked the witness what his hobbies were.

“Genealogy and photography,” replied the obviously perplexed Lt. Col. James Chilcoat, deputy assistant director of the Department of Public Safety.

Kunasek appealed to state Supreme Court Justice Frank Gordon Jr., who sits as trial referee while the 30 senators serve in effect as judge and jury.

Admonishes Counsel

“In my opinion, this proceeding is being drawn out unnecessarily,” Kunasek said. “I would admonish the counsel for the defense for doing that. . . .”

Gordon said he would not “cut off” Craft, but cautioned that the relevance of the questions appeared “thin.”

Usdane then complained of “tactics that appear to be a delay. They may be with good cause. . . . But it would appear to all of us . . . that if you multiply the amount of witnesses and the amount of testimony in terms of the amount of days spent, we will be here until December before we have any ability to make decisions.”

The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks. Kunasek’s office said no estimate of the cost has been made.

Mecham is accused of concealing a $350,000 campaign loan, misusing $80,000 from his protocol fund and thwarting an investigation of an alleged death threat from one aide against another.

Suspended From Office

If convicted, he would be removed from office permanently and possibly barred from holding office again in Arizona. Impeached by the House of Representatives on Feb. 5, the governor currently is suspended pending a verdict by the Senate.

On Thursday, Chilcoat corroborated earlier testimony that Mecham told Department of Public Safety Director Col. Ralph Milstead not to cooperate with the attorney general’s probe of the alleged death threat.

The purported threat was against former Mecham aide Donna Carlson, who at the time was testifying about the $350,000 loan before the grand jury.

The three Department of Public Safety witnesses this week have said Mecham knew such a threat was felonious but treated it as an administrative rather than a criminal matter.

Mecham, 63, has not attended the trial, but has maintained a high public profile. In the course of two days, he appeared on national television four times to proclaim his innocence and spoke to a raucous crowd of about 3,500 supporters at a Tempe rally.

Raises $100,000

The Wednesday night rally at an Arizona State University arena raised about $100,000 for the governor’s legal defense fund, organizers said.

The foot-stomping crowd repeatedly roared with approval as Mecham and key supporters denounced the press and the prosecutors.

Mecham has tried in vain to stop the impeachment trial on grounds it denies him due process by preceding his March 22 criminal trial on felony charges in connection with the loan. He also faces a recall election May 17.