Judge mulls witnesses in lawmaker's bid to dismiss charges

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) _ A judge is deciding who must testify in response to Philadelphia state Rep. Louise Bishop’s motion to dismiss criminal charges against her stemming from an undercover sting that her lawyer says only targeted minorities.
Dauphin County Judge Scott Evans didn’t say when he would rule following Friday’s hearing.
Prosecutors want Evans to dismiss subpoenas by Bishop’s lawyer seeking testimony from an informant, an agent and a prosecutor in the case. They say grand jurors investigated the claim of racial targeting and found none.
Bishop is charged with bribery and conflict of interest in the cash-for-favors sting. Her lawyer says she’s innocent.
The charges are among those filed by Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams after Attorney General Kathleen Kane dropped the case, in part because she says investigators targeted minorities without cause.