A federal judge on Monday called for a three-week postponement in the corruption trial of the former

Los Angeles

Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan, after learning that Chan’s chief lawyer was still in hospital afterwards

undergo

an unexpected operation.

U.S. District Judge John F. Walter said he will try to resume testimonies

on

March 27, time for Harland Braun, Chan’s lawyer, to recover from what has been described in court as an infection.

Chan, a former aide to Mayor Eric Garcetti and former head of the Department of Construction and Security, is accused of participating in a bribery and extortion scheme led by former councilman Jose Huizar that involved high-rise projects in the downtown area. Braun, who has led the defense team, went to the hospital last week, leading to the cancellation of the testimony

on

Friday

Braun’s abrupt absence has created a new air of uncertainty around the trial, which has been underway since February 21.

Braun, 80, is a seasoned attorney who has represented many high-profile defendants, including actor Robert Blake, director Roman Polanski and Theodore J. Briseno, a former LAPD officer who was twice acquitted of charges in the Rodney King assault.

The other lawyer on Chan’s defense team, Brendan Pratt, will receive his law degree in 2021.

, who recently told the judge that he served the defense team in an “administrative support role.” Dave wants to stay here until we hear from Pratt//ku

Also sits at the defense table

Even Chan

the defendant’s daughter-in-law, who described herself as an assistant when approached by The Times.

Pratt told the court

on

Monday that doctors had not determined the source of Chan’s infection. He did not say what kind of surgery was performed, describing it as a “half measure”. Pratt said he relied on Braun’s son for medical information on the veteran lawyer, but he had also spoken directly to Braun.

“He sounded very weak and expressed concern that he doesn’t know when he will be released from the hospital,” Pratt said.

“We still don’t have a diagnosis, do we?” the judge asked minutes later.

“No, we don’t, Your Honor,” Pratt said.

Prosecutors have four more witnesses in the case. have jurors

already

heard from ex

P

welding

C

These include Commissioner David Ambroz, Mayor’s Assistant Kevin Keller and Richelle Rios, Huizar’s estranged wife.

On Friday, the judge advised Pratt

That

he should familiarize himself with the documents in the case. The judge told the prosecutor he would do everything he could to “keep this process on track.

I am certainly not going to a mistrial, he said last week.