In a court filing this week, Curtner declined to provide details. He recommended a replacement, Peter Camiel of Seattle, who was quickly appointed by U.S. Magistrate Judge John Roberts.
Curtner replaced Seattle appellate specialist Sheryl Gordon McCloud, who won Kott's appeal at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
On Wednesday, Camiel said Kott's case was too complicated to meet the Aug. 8 trial date set by U.S. District Judge John Sedwick. He asked Sedwick to continue the trial to December, but said he could only meet that date if a second attorney was appointed to help him with pretrial motions.
"While current counsel is an experienced criminal defense lawyer he notes that Mr. Kott was represented at his first trial by two full-time lawyers and notes that it appears that the government in this case is now represented by nine lawyers," Camiel wrote in his motion for help. He asked that McCloud get the appointment.
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