Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Armstrong criminal trial postponed to October


From Colorado Springs-

A 4th Judicial District judge today postponed the criminal trial of the Rev. Donald Armstrong of Colorado Springs to Oct. 18.

The trial had been set to begin today.

The change was due to scheduling conflicts between Armstrong’s defense attorney, Dennis Hartley, and the Pueblo District Attorney’s office.

Judge Gregory Werner also set a status conference for Aug. 18, where Hartley is expected to waive Armstrong’s right to a speedy trial. Werner anticipates the trial lasting three weeks.

Armstrong, the former rector of Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Colorado Springs, was indicted last April by a 4th Judicial District grand jury on 20 felony counts of theft charges. The indictment concluded an 11-month investigation by Colorado Springs police and the Pueblo District Attorney’s Office into Armstrong’s alleged financial misconduct while rector of Grace.

Police maintain that between 1999 and 2006 Armstrong funneled about $392,000 of church funds earmarked for Episcopal seminarians to finance his two children’s college education.

If convicted on all felony counts, Armstrong, 60, could spend the rest of his life in prison. Each count comes with a possible prison sentence of four to 12 years.

More here-

http://www.gazette.com/news/trial-94570-armstrong-today.html

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