Hearing on Katsav plea bargain postponed
High Court accepts request made by State Prosecutor's Office for delay in submitting response to petitions calling for annulment of former president’s plea bargain
The court postponed the hearing following a request made by the State Prosecutor's Office, which was asked to respond to a petition filed against the plea bargain.
According to the plea bargain, Katsav will be indicted for sexual misconduct but will not be sent to prison.
On Monday morning, the State Prosecutor's Office requested a 48-hour continuance in submitting a response to petitions calling for the annulment of Katsav's plea bargain. The Prosecutor's Office told the High Court it would not file a corrected indictment until the petitions were heard.
The High Court issued an injunction on Sunday deferring State plans to indict Katsav in a Jerusalem court in the framework of a plea bargain on the sex charges.
Justice Jubran ruled it was inappropriate that the State pushed for a plea bargain deal before the High Court had ruled on a handful of petitions by civil rights and women's groups who wanted Katsav to stand trial.
The former president's attorneys said in their response to the High Court that the petitions against the plea bargain were baseless.
“Such plea bargains are an integral part of Israel’s judicial system,” the attorneys said in their response. “The deals reflect relative and pragmatic justice and are based on the parties’ perception regarding the chances for conviction or acquittal.
“The media is trying to hurt his honor and human identity, as if he was a villain,” the defense attorneys said.
“The Attorney General (Menachem Mazuz) has determined that there is insufficient evidence to indict Katsav on the serious charges.”
Also Monday, the Knesset speaker and deputies rejected nine petitions made by various Knesset members, calling for a special session of the Knesset's plenum to review Katsav's plea bargain.
