Judge Removed From DeLay's Criminal Case

In a courtroom victory for Rep. Tom Delay, the judge in the campaign-finance case against the former House Republican leader was removed Tuesday because of his donations to Democratic candidates and causes.

A semi-retired judge who was called in to hear the dispute, C.W. Bud Duncan, ruled in Delay's favor without comment. Duncan ordered the appointment of a new judge to preside over the case.

The ruling came after a hearing in which Delay's attorneys argued that state District Judge Bob Perkins' political donations created the appearance of bias. Perkins, a Democrat, has contributed to candidates such as John Kerry and the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org.

"The public perception of Judge Perkins' activities shows him to be on opposite sides of the political fence than Tom DeLay,"defense attorney Dick DeGuerin argued.

(This makes absolutely no sense to me. I guess DeLay can't have a Republican judge either because that judge might be biased in his favor. Doesn't seem to be a good tactical move - seems they just removed their basis for an appeal after the crook is found guilty!)