Baugh Loses Bid to Change Date of Arraignment

In a surprise move, Assemblyman Scott R. Baugh showed up in Superior Court on Friday to see if he could be arraigned three days earlier than scheduled on charges he broke criminal laws and repeatedly violated the Political Reform Act during and after his campaign last fall.

Superior Court Judge David O. Carter refused the request from Baugh’s attorney, Allan H. Stokke.

Stokke said later he explained to the judge that Baugh wanted to avoid being delayed in Orange County by his scheduled 9 a.m. arraignment Monday, because he had an early morning flight to catch to return to Sacramento. To enable Baugh to catch his plane, Carter agreed to let him enter a plea at 8 a.m. Monday.

The Huntington Beach Republican is charged with four felony counts of perjury and 18 misdemeanor violations of falsely reporting or failing to report campaign loans, contributions and expenditures, as well as the improper use of cash in the campaign.

Also on Monday, Carter is to hear motions from news media attorneys seeking to unseal the booking photographs and materials in the case. At the request of the defendants, Carter sealed the booking mugs last month. Baugh’s lawyers had argued that the police mug shots could be used against him by election opponents.

Baugh is to be arraigned Monday along with his chief of staff, Maureen Werft, and Rhonda Carmony, campaign manager for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach).

Carmony, who worked in the Baugh campaign, is charged with three felonies for her alleged role in orchestrating the candidacy of a Democratic spoiler in Baugh’s successful effort to win the Assembly seat last fall. Werft is charged with two felonies for allegedly voting illegally in the contest.