Trial Of Luther Jones, Gilbert Sanchez Postponed Until Next Year

The public corruption trial of Luther Jones and Gilbert Sanchez has been postponed until next year, according to court records.

Court records show jury selection is set for March 28, 2011 before U.S. District Court Judge Frank Montalvo. The trial also is set for the same date. Jones and Sanchez were originally set to go to trial this month.

Sanchez, the District Clerk, is charged with taking a bribe to steer a contract during the bidding process. He and co-defendant Jones have both pleaded non-guilty. Sanchez is accused of accepting $750 for a trip to Las Vegas from Jones.

According to a federal indictment, in exchange for the trip, Sanchez would steer a lucrative county contract to favor a company tied to Jones. Jones is a lawyer and a former State Representative and former El Paso County Judge.

In the order entered June 1 postponing the trial, Montalvo said that “due to the overwhelming amount of discovery recently produced by” prosecutors, he’s allowing defendants more time to prepare for their case. He called the recently-produced discovery “considerable.”

Previous court documents indicate prosecutors just last month turned over more than 1,500 recordings and files to the defense.

Montalvo has set a deadline of Sept. 10, 2010 for prosecutors to turn over all evidence it actually intends to use at trial. These items may include phone calls, emails, text messages, and computer files. The judge clarified that “this order in no way requires the government to identify witnesses it intends to call at trial.”

Montalvo also gave prosecutors until Sept. 10, 2010 to disclose any allegations of other crimes, wrongdoing or acts it plans to bring up during the trial.

Montalvo gave Jones and Sanchez a deadline of Jan. 10, 2011 to inform the court if they decide to accept responsibility for the crimes they are charged with and enter into a plea deal.