GREENSBURG, Pa. — The retrial of Westmoreland County Sheriff Jonathan Held is moving forward.
During a hearing Friday, Held's defense team tried to convince a judge that the charges should be dropped. The judge denied that request and moved the case to trial.
Prosecutors also will be allowed to present new evidence from two deputies who claim Held had them place campaign signs along the funeral route for a fallen police officer in May 2015, right before the primary election.
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Jury selection is scheduled to begin on April 1.
The defense does have the right to appeal the judge's decision; however, that motion to the Superior Court would have to be filed in the next 30 days.
Held is accused of ordering deputies to do work for his re-election campaign on county time. He is charged with two counts of theft and one count of conflict of interest.
Held's public corruption case ended Dec. 7 in a mistrial. After a unanimous guilty verdict initially was read, the judge polled the jurors to ensure they agreed with the verdict, and one of them did not.
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