Washougal Mayor Sean Guard’s scheduled Cowlitz County court hearing to determine whether his trial for allegedly impersonating a police officer would happen this month was postponed Thursday.
Cowlitz County Prosecutor’s Office hired Guard’s attorney, Luka Vitasovic, necessitating the delay of Guard’s court date Thursday, the mayor wrote in an email. Guard’s new attorney is Aaron Bartlett, according to Cowlitz County court records.
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 traffic on Dec. 24, 2010, on Interstate 5 near Kelso.
Guard’s jury trial is scheduled for Sept. 23. It is unclear now whether his trial date will be delayed due to the postponement of Thursday’s hearing.