A federal judge has approved former Illinois Rep. Mel Reynolds’ request to delay his tax evasion trial.
U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman agreed Tuesday to delay the trial following Reynolds’ plea that he was “absolutely not prepared” for the trial, which had been scheduled to begin June 20.
The 64-year-old is representing himself and told the judge he was unable to conduct adequate research for his case because of limited time in the Chicago jail’s law library and on the computer.
The prosecution did not object to Reynolds’ request.
Reynolds is accused of having failed to file tax returns from 2009 to 2012.
He was taken into custody by federal officials in April following his arrival at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta from Johannesburg, South Africa. Reynolds was charged with a misdemeanor earlier this year for failing to file income tax returns from 2009 to 2012, but refused to show up to his initial court hearing. Reynolds, who pleaded not guilty, had claimed he could not leave Africa to handle his U.S. legal affairs because he was caring for his adult daughter, who was dealing with scoliosis and cervical cancer.
U.S. District Judge John Darrah had denied his request to push back the May 2 trial date. Instead, he issued an arrest warrant for Reynolds following his return to the U.S., but did not extradite the former lawmaker.
It’s not Reynolds’ first legal dilemma. In 1995, he resigned from Congress after being convicted of statutory rape of a minor who had worked on his campaign.
