Britton-Harr contempt hearing delayed, giving new defense attorney prep time

A contempt hearing that could land Patrick Britton-Harr in jail has been pushed back in order to give his new attorney time to get up to speed.

The hearing was scheduled for July 31 in Baltimore, but on Monday U.S. District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander granted a motion requested by Britton-Harr’s new attorney to delay it.

In the motion, Gerald C. Ruter told the court he accepted the case July 24 and wrote that “in order to adequately represent Mr. Britton-Harr it is imperative that time is allotted for a review of at least the pleadings that bring this hearing before the court.”