Katsav lawyers ask to delay hearing due to vacations

Lawyers say holding appeal hearing on rape conviction in August forces them to delay holiday plans which could bring emotional distress.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Katsav (photo credit: Reuters)
Katsav
(photo credit: Reuters)
The lawyers of former president Moshe Katsav on Thursday requested that the Supreme Court reschedule Katsav's appeal hearing set for the summer due to family vacation plans.
The court had previously decided in an uncommon move to hold the hearing during the summer.
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Katsav was convicted in December of two counts of rape and other offenses, and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Katsav's prison term was set to being on May 8, but last week Supreme Court Justice Yoram Danziger ruled that the former president could remain out of jail until the end of his appeal, following a request by his lawyers.
The lawyers have requested that the appeal hearing scheduled for August be delayed as well, saying that postponing their vacation plans could result in emotional distress for the lawyers.
However, court officials suggested that chances the Supreme Court would accept the lawyers' request were slim, due to the fact that the court had previously agreed to allow Katsav to delay his entry to jail.