Delay Expected in Case Against Bradley

The state attorney general’s office has disclosed that a complaint against Superior Court Judge Robert Bradley will not likely be filed for four or five weeks, the judge’s attorney said Monday.

George Eskin, who said he spoke with a member of the attorney general’s staff, said the delay is disappointing to Bradley, who was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving Dec. 6 and again Jan. 3.

“We had thought the complaint would be filed sooner so we could get to court, conclude the criminal case, and move on,” Eskin said. “We’re not accustomed to that kind of delay between arrest and arraignment.”

If handled by county prosecutors, who have disqualified themselves because they must routinely appear before Bradley, the process would take about 30 days. If Bradley were not a judge, he probably would have been arraigned Jan. 5 on the first drunk-driving arrest, Eskin said.

Eskin said he thinks the delay stems from the state’s practice of conducting its own investigations in such cases rather than relying exclusively on local police reports.

The judge intends to “plead guilty and acknowledge responsibility,” his attorney said.

Bradley, who has announced plans to run for reelection in June, must file to do so by Feb. 4. Deputy Public Defender Gary Windom has said he is considering challenging Bradley, and attorney Glen Reiser has said he might run if Bradley were to step aside.