The Jerusalem Magistrates Court has postponed the trial of former President Moshe Katzav for two weeks. Defense attorneys requested the delay in order to examine evidence against Katzav and to prepare new evidence they say could significantly change the direction of the trial.
The prosecution agreed to the request.
Katzav's legal team of Zion Amir, Avigdor Feldman and Avraham Lavi has demanded access to all evidence gathered by police during the investigation of their client before appearing in court, including material that was not included in the indictment against Katzav. Legally, the prosecution must grant access to all evidence related to the charges, but is not required to reveal material that was uncovered during the investigation stage if it was ultimately not included in the indictment.
The defense says the secret material could help Katzav prove his innocence, and could help destroy the credibility of complainant "A," the main protagonist in the case who worked for Katzav at the ministry of tourism. She has maintained that she suffered "extreme psychological damage" as a result of ongoing sexual advances.
Katzav was due to appear in court Wednesday to plead guilty to two counts of sexual harassment. In June, he resigned the presidency just two weeks before his seven-year term ended and accepted, according to a plea bargin, suspended sentence with no jail time. The original charges could have carried a sentence of up to 20 years.
Women's and civil rights groups slammed the deal, saying it left women defenseless against unwanted sexual advances. Now, it appears that Katzav is also having second thoughts about the plea bargain. Earlier this week, defense lawyers demanded the opportunity to cross-examine "A" in order to challenge her credibility as a witness. They said Katzav could withdraw his acceptance of the plea bargain if denied the opportunity to question "A," and said they would consider a full-blown public trial if that’s what it would take to put "A" on the witness stand.