Michael S Carona

A federal judge Thursday dismissed charges against the wife and former mistress of ex-Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona, who was acquitted earlier this month of charges that he took bribes in exchange for the powers of his office. U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Guilford ordered that related charges against Deborah Carona and Debra Hoffman be dropped, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Kenneth Julian.

If a judge takes the lead from probation officers, former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona could face 6 1/2 years in prison for leaning on his assistant to lie to a grand jury that was investigating the administration of the state's second-largest sheriff's agency. A probation report, which recommends that the man once dubbed "America's sheriff" serve 78 months in federal prison for witness tampering, was issued last week and was immediately sealed.

Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona intends to return to work Monday, ending a 60-day paid leave of absence initiated after he was charged with corruption in a federal grand jury indictment. It remained unclear how much time Carona would spend in the sheriff's Santa Ana headquarters when he returns to work. In a statement, the department said Undersheriff Jo Ann Galisky would continue to handle day-to-day operations after Carona's return.

Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona returned to work Monday after a self-imposed leave of absence, but did not create much of a buzz in department headquarters in Santa Ana. In fact, he did not visit his office at all, department officials said. Carona, who took two months off work to prepare for his June trial on federal corruption charges, announced through a spokesman last week that he would return Monday.

Orange County supervisors accepted outgoing Sheriff Michael S. Carona's hand-picked successor as the new acting head of the law enforcement agency on Tuesday, setting aside concerns that the appointment was improper and that political calculations played a role in the selection.

Talked out of lobbying for a former sheriff's lieutenant to replace indicted and now retired Sheriff Michael S. Carona last year, the San Clemente City Council had second thoughts late Tuesday. The council agreed Tuesday night to write a letter to Orange County supervisors asking them to appoint former Lt. Bill Hunt as a permanent replacement for Carona, who is facing federal corruption charges.

Lawyers for former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona said Thursday that dozens of federal prosecutors have disqualified themselves from prosecuting his corruption case -- and the defense wants to know why. Carona's lawyers disclosed in federal court in Santa Ana that federal prosecutors in Los Angeles and Orange counties have declared an unspecified conflict of interest and said they could not be involved in Carona's prosecution.

Stepping up their defense of former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona, attorneys on Friday asked a federal judge to exclude as evidence secret recordings of conversations between a top aide and Carona in the weeks before he was indicted on corruption charges. One of the seven charges against Carona alleges that he tried to persuade Donald Haidl, his former assistant sheriff and close friend, to withhold information from a federal grand jury.

As former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona prepares for trial on criminal charges that he sold access to his office for cash, favors and gifts, he has retained the best lawyers money can buy. And he's getting them nearly free of charge. Jones Day, the fourth-largest law firm in the United States, with 2,300 lawyers worldwide and estimated annual revenue of $1.3 billion, has agreed to represent Carona on a pro bono basis.

Lawyers for former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona made one of the most pivotal arguments in his corruption case Friday, asking a judge to prohibit jurors from hearing secret recordings in which Carona reportedly discussed hiding evidence that he illegally received cash and gifts. Carona's lawyers said the recordings should be excluded because federal law prohibits prosecutors from contacting a target who has an attorney, even through a third party.