Judge: Edwards trial is still on

GREENSBORO, N.C. - A federal judge refused to throw out campaign corruption charges against John Edwards on Friday, meaning the former presidential candidate will have to present his case to a jury.

Lawyers for Edwards argued before U.S. District Court Judge Catherine C. Eagles that prosecutors failed to prove their client intentionally violated the law or that some of the alleged offenses occurred in the Middle District of North Carolina, the venue where he was indicted.

After 21/2 hours of arguments from the defense and rebuttal from the prosecution, the judge ruled quickly from the bench that the government had met its basic burden under the law.

"We will let the jury decide," Eagles said.

Motions to dismiss are routine in criminal trials, but rarely granted. The decision means Edwards' lawyers will begin calling witnesses Monday. Lawyers for Edwards said they have not yet determined which of their potential witnesses they will call first or whether Edwards will take the stand.

Edwards has pleaded not guilty to six criminal counts related to campaign finance violations. He is accused of masterminding a scheme to use nearly $1 million in secret payments from two wealthy donors to help hide his pregnant mistress as he sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Edwards' lead attorney, Abbe Lowell, made an impassioned argument Friday tearing down the government's evidence piece by piece, saying their case had numerous holes and they were expecting the judge to serve as the "pothole filler."

Chiefly, Lowell said that in 14 days of testimony the government failed to present any direct evidence that Edwards intended to violate campaign finance laws when hiding his affair or lying about it to his wife, his campaign, and the American people. Lots of cheating husbands lie, Lowell argued.

"They have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Edwards knew he was violating the law and did so with specific intent," Lowell told the judge. "No one is going to deny that Mr. Edwards lied and lied and lied. ... But what did he lie about?"

But Lowell also admitted for the first time that his client had some knowledge his campaign finance chairman Fred Baron was financially supporting his mistress, Rielle Hunter, while she was in hiding. Edwards had previously denied having any knowledge of the cover up orchestrated by two of his closest campaign confidants.

"Mr. Edwards definitely knew she was outside North Carolina, definitely knew she was on a plane and definitely knew that Baron was taking care of things," Lowell said. "No one is denying he knew. But does he know it's in the context of campaign laws?"