Tampabay: Pinellas judge is offered a plea deal

Pinellas judge is offered a plea deal

California officials won't discuss what deal they offered Circuit Judge Charles W. Cope, who has pleaded not guilty.

By WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE and ANITA KUMAR

California officials won't discuss what deal they offered Circuit Judge Charles W. Cope, who has pleaded not guilty.

California prosecutors on Thursday offered a plea deal to a Pinellas-Pasco judge charged with two misdemeanors for trying to enter the hotel room of two women in April.

Now it is up to Circuit Judge Charles W. Cope to accept the offer, which could happen today, or prepare for trial.

Cope's California attorney, Tom Worthington, said the district attorney's office in Monterey County, Calif., made the plea offer at a pretrial conference.

Neither Worthington nor the assistant district attorney handling the case would reveal terms of the proposed plea. The charges carry a maximum penalty of six months in jail.

A second pretrial conference is scheduled today and, if Cope finds the proposed plea acceptable, his lawyers could reach an agreement with prosecutors.

"We're in negotiations and it's very sensitive," Worthington said. "I will not disclose what the offer is. I'm going to discuss it with my client."

Even if Worthington accepts the offer on Cope's behalf today, Cope will not immediately plead out, the lawyer said. If the offer is accepted, Cope will file a plea in absentia at a later date, meaning Cope would not have to appear in California.

The judge hearing Cope's case would have to agree to a waiver of his appearance.

"We would like to resolve this case without a trial," Worthington said.

Cope, 52, could not be reached for comment.

Police in Carmel, Calif., said Cope met a 64-year-old woman and her 31-year-old daughter on April 4 while attending a judicial conference. Police found the trio, all intoxicated, walking arm-in-arm down a Carmel street at 1:30 a.m.

At 12:30 the next morning, police said, Cope tried to enter the hotel room of the women as they slept. Only the door's chain lock prevented it from opening, police said.

The women called 911 and Cope was arrested about a block away.

The women insisted their door was locked when Cope tried to enter and suspect that Cope took their key when he first met them.

Police charged Cope, who is married, with prowling/loitering and peering into an inhabited dwelling.

Cope has pleaded not guilty and says another man tried to enter the women's room.