Baugh Bid to Oust D.A. From Case Continued

A motion to disqualify Orange County Dist. Atty. Michael R. Capizzi from prosecuting the campaign-fraud case against Assemblyman Scott R. Baugh (R-Huntington Beach) was continued until Monday.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors spent more than three hours Friday in closed chambers with Municipal Judge William L. Evans discussing the case.

Evans must decide whether Capizzi’s office should remain on the case or whether it should be forwarded to the state attorney general. The judge must also rule upon a second defense motion to drop the entire case against Baugh.

Baugh’s attorneys contend that prosecutors are guilty of “outrageous conduct,” including blackmailing a judge and coercing a key witness to perjure himself, for the sake of Capizzi’s political ambitions.

But prosecutors counter they’ve done nothing improper and regard Baugh’s heated attacks as an attempt to divert attention from the assemblyman’s alleged misconduct.

Baugh faces felony and misdemeanor charges of campaign finance fraud. Most of the charges allege that the legislator misreported campaign loans and contributions during the 1995 special election to replace Cypress Republican Doris Allen, who was recalled during that election.