Trial Set for GOP Political Aide Carmony

Superior Court Judge James L. Smith set April 21 as the new trial date for GOP political aide Rhonda J. Carmony but will not preside at her trial because he plans to retire from the bench at the end of this month.

Smith, who has handled the case for several months, made the announcement Monday after meeting in chambers with prosecutors and Carmony’s attorney.

Carmony, was was campaign manager for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) at the time she was charged and is now his fiancee, is accused of three felonies in connection with the 1995 special election to recall former Assembly Speaker Doris Allen (R-Cypress) and replace her in the 67th District with Scott Baugh, a political neophyte and Rohrabacher protege.

Carmony allegedly orchestrated a scheme to put one of Baugh’s supporters on the ballot as a Democrat in order to divide the votes of Democrats and hurt the election chances of Baugh’s key Democratic rival.

Baugh also faces felony charges, of falsifying campaign contribution reports that would have shown his association with the decoy candidate. Baugh and Carmony have denied wrongdoing.

Smith, who has planned his retirement for months, told attorneys in the case Monday that he could not say which judge will handle the trial.

Another Superior Court judge, Kazuharu Makino of Fullerton, has been appointed to consider a defense motion asking that Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi be disqualified from prosecuting Carmony on election law violations. The recusal motion is scheduled to be argued before Makino on April 11.