The date for the trial of Circuit Court Judge Brian Curtin, who is charged with possession of child pornography, was extended yesterday after an appeal by his solicitor for time to study exhibits in connection with the case.
Judge Carroll Moran granted the adjournment and set the date for April 20th next at Tralee Circuit Court. Originally the case was to have been heard on March 9th but was scheduled on the list yesterday in case the position needed to be reviewed.
It has been before the courts a number of times already, first in the District Court, where jurisdiction was declined.
Judge Curtin, who was not in court yesterday, is charged with knowingly possessing child pornography, under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, (1998), at his home, 24 Árd na Li, Tralee, on May 27th, 2002.
His solicitor, Mr Robert Pierse, said his client was anxious the case proceed as soon as possible and was very reluctantly seeking an adjournment. He was in an impossible position as he had only received a boxful of images before the court started yesterday. Mr Pierse expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of time it had taken to gain access to copies of the images and conditions being attached by the State.
It would now take several weeks for the computer images to be linked with the hard copies. He was applying for the adjournment to give the defence time to examine images in the case and to prepare a proper defence.
Ms Catherine Irvine, from the chief prosecuting solicitor's office, said Mr Pierse had been offered a hard disk of the images last July. However certain conditions had to be attached because of the nature of the case and Mr Pierse's expert did not accept the conditions until October.
Judge Moran said an application concerning the images could have been made to the Circuit Court much earlier, even last November. If not, an application could have been made after the High Court referred the matter back to the Circuit Court, on December 18th.
He granted the adjournment on condition the case goes ahead, in Tralee, on April 20th.