Susan Mcdougal’s Trial Stayed

Fri., May 23, 1997

Associated Press

Susan McDougal’s embezzlement trial, scheduled to begin Thursday, was postponed until next month after her lawyer asked the judge to dismiss the case.

Superior Court Judge Paul Flynn rescheduled the trial for June 23.

McDougal, 42, has pleaded innocent to embezzling $150,000 from conductor Zubin Mehta and his wife, Nancy, while working as their personal assistant and bookkeeper from 1989 to 1992.

McDougal is accused of forging checks and charging hotel rooms, plane tickets and shopping sprees.

Outside court, defense lawyer Mark J. Geragos said he asked that the case be dismissed because a judge refused to allow Nancy Mehta to testify at a preliminary hearing.

“There was a flaw in it. The defense wanted to call Nancy Mehta,” he said.

McDougal has been jailed since September on a contempt charge for refusing to answer questions from the grand jury investigating the financial dealings of President Clinton and his wife, Hillary.

McDougal was sentenced last year to two years in prison on a fraud conviction in the Whitewater case.

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Susan Mcdougal’s Trial Stayed

Jesse Tinsley

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