NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk's mayor, city manager, most city council members, and city attorney could become witnesses in an upcoming trial.
This comes after Norfolk police charged Michael Muhammad, a community activist, with disorderly conduct late last year.
"I, as a citizen, have been egregiously violated and there is an allegation against me," Muhammad said.
Investigators said it all happened at a Norfolk City Council meeting in December. According to Muhammad, he was arguing with a family member when a Norfolk police officer stepped in. Muhammad said the officer put his hands on him.
"The mayor is very well capable of calling disorder and dismissing people even when they are not disorderly, as he has done to me," Muhammad said.
Muhammad's trial is set to begin on August 11. His attorney, Amina Matheny-Willard, subpoenaed Norfolk City Council members and other city officials for this upcoming trial.
On Wednesday, the city attorney representing the members of council and city officials asked a judge to throw out the subpoenas.
Matheny-Willard plans to have the city officials who attended that December meeting testify during the trial.
"I subpoenaed fact witnesses," Matheny-Willard said.
During Wednesday's hearing, a judge recused herself from the case for several reasons and did not hear the motion made by Norfolk city attorneys to cancel the subpoenas.
Court officials are rescheduling a new hearing date. They are working to bring in an outside judge.
13News Now reached out to Assistant City Attorney Margaret Kelly, but a staff member said she wasn't available for comment. We also reached out to the Norfolk Police Department but have not heard back.
Muhammed and his attorney said they recently filed lawsuits against the Norfolk police officer who he said put touched him, as well as several other Norfolk city officials.