By Associated Press - Thursday, April 21, 2016

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - The trial for a former Spokane police union president accused of tipping off an officer about a sexual assault investigation has been pushed back.

The Spokesman-Review reports (https://bit.ly/1pjvXDK ) that the trial for John Gately, the former Spokane Police Guild president, had been set to start Thursday, but is now scheduled for May 9. Prosecutors had asked for the delay because Gately’s attorney added a new expert witness. Gately’s attorney had objected to the new trial date.

Gately is facing a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a law enforcement officer. A judge dropped two felony counts of rendering criminal assistance following a request from Gately’s attorney.

Authorities say Gately told Sgt. Gordon Ennis, who is charged with sexually assaulting a fellow officer, about the investigation before detectives served a search warrant.

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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, https://www.spokesman.com

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