Judge could send Edwards aide to jail for contempt

By MICHAEL BIESECKER
Associated Press

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — A judge will decide whether to jail a former John Edwards aide for criminal contempt in the legal fight over ownership of a purported sex tape recorded by the mistress of the 2008 presidential candidate.

Superior Court Judge Michael R. Morgan signed an order Thursday finding probable cause for criminal contempt charges against Andrew Young and his wife, Cheri Young, as well as the couple’s lawyers.

According to the order, the Youngs and their lawyers violated a protective order in the civil lawsuit filed against them by Rielle Hunter, the candidate’s former mistress. At issue are confidential records from the civil case that were provided to federal prosecutors pursuing criminal charges against Edwards for campaign finance violations.

Morgan has scheduled a hearing on the contempt case for Nov. 7.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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