Washougal Mayor Sean Guard has a court date scheduled for Thursday in Cowlitz County to determine whether his trial for allegedly impersonating a police officer is ready to go forward in September, court officials said.
Guard was originally supposed to attend court Wednesday, but his attorney, Aaron Bartlett, filed an affidavit of prejudice against Judge Davis Kass. Guard’s case is now scheduled to be heard in Judge Ed Putka’s court at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Guard entered a not guilty plea July 11 to a charge of second-degree criminal impersonation for allegedly using the emergency lights on his city-owned vehicle to get past slower-moving traffic on Interstate 5 Dec. 24, 2010, near Kelso.
Guard’s jury trial is scheduled for Sept. 23.
Bartlett’s affidavit stated, on behalf of Guard, that the mayor did not believe he would get a fair trial in front of Judge Kass, court administrator Delaura Wirkkala said. The affidavit did not contain a reason for this allegation, nor did it need to do so, Wirkkala added.
