Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne's hit-and-run case set for Feb. 1

PHOENIX - A court proceeding on a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge against Arizona Attorney  General Tom Horne is set for early February after being postponed this week.

In December, Horne's lawyer said he was trying to reach a settlement with prosecutors.

Horne's attorney requested and obtained a second one-month delay in a pretrial conference that was scheduled Dec. 17 in Phoenix Municipal Court.

Michael Kimerer's request said he needed more time to evaluate the evidence and interview "critical witnesses." He also wrote in a Dec. 13 motion he was having ongoing settlement communications with city prosecutors he hopes lead to a resolution.

Horne's next court date, a pretrial disposition conference, is set for 1:30 p.m. on February 1 at the Phoenix Municipal Court.

Horne is accused of not leaving a note after FBI agents saw him tap another vehicle while driving a borrowed car on March 27, 2012.

Phoenix police charged Horne with a Class 3 misdemeanor for leaving the scene of a non-injury accident.

The Class 3 misdemeanor can be punished by no more than 30 days in jail and/or no more than a year probation and/or no more than a $500 fine.

Horne says he didn't think the other vehicle was damaged. He has pleaded not guilty.

When FBI agents witnessed the hit-and-run, Horne was under surveillance by the FBI because he was being investigated for campaign finance irregularities.

He has since been charged with violating state campaign finance laws.

When Horne hit the parked car, the FBI says he was in the company of Carmen Chenal, a woman he hired when he became Attorney General.

Horne has not denied having a romantic relationship with Chenal, whom he hired despite the fact that she had lost her law license, then testified before a bar panel to help her get the license reinstated and promoted her to a $108,000 a year job.