Associated Press
Monday, May 22, 2000; 2:27 PM 

A Howard County judge today denied a motion by state prosecutors asking her to clarify her earlier ruling on evidence in the Linda R. Tripp wiretapping case.

Judge Diane Leasure ruled that a motion filed by prosecutor Stephen Montanarelli asked her to reconsider her May 5 decision on evidence. In that decision, Leasure said that little of the testimony by former White House intern Monica S. Lewinsky would be allowed at Tripp’s trial.

Leasure agreed this afternoon with Tripp’s defense attorneys, who argued the judge doesn’t have the authority to reconsider her decision to block the Lewinsky testimony. Leasure says the law is clear; she may reconsider decisions to suppress evidence only under certain conditions, none of which were present in this case.

Leasure also restated her opinion that most of Lewinsky’s testimony in front of a Howard County grand jury in the case was “tainted.” She said Lewinsky read Tripp’s immunized testimony from the Starr Report and wasn’t relying entirely on her own memory.