A county judge has determined an assistant district attorney should not be held in contempt for participating in political activities after asking for a postponement of a rape trial.

Centre County Assistant District Attorney Steve Sloane asked to postpone the trial of Justin A. Cluck, a Virginia man accused of raping an unconscious female Penn State student.

Sloane's doctor said the attorney was too sick with pneumonia to attend the trial, and Centre County Judge Bradley Lunsford granted the continuance March 1.

The trial was originally scheduled to begin March 2. On the same day, Sloane gave a short speech at the Centre County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner.

Cluck's attorney, Bruce Manchester, also attended the dinner. Both attorneys are candidates for Centre County judge.

Manchester filed a motion the next day asking that Sloane be held in contempt, alleging Sloane "deliberately misled the Court by having the trial postponed due to illness when he was well enough to attend the dinner," according to Lunsford's opinion and order.

On March 8, Lunsford wrote in his opinion that he is convinced Sloane's intentions were sincere. He wrote Sloane had an ethical duty to obey his doctor's directive, which told him to avoid a full-day trial but allowed him to attend "less taxing events that required minimal speaking."

"The Court believes that he made a good faith, albeit perhaps not good, decision to postpone the trial but follow through on other less demanding commitments," Lunsford wrote.

Sloane said he continues to stand by his actions.

"I did what [my doctor] told me and what my boss approved I could do," he said.

Sloane also said he was concerned by Manchester's actions in light of their 15 years of friendship.

"I thought we were friends, and he knew me better than that," Sloane said. "He literally got our court to preside over a commercial for him against me at taxpayer's expense," he added, referring to a March 6 hearing on Manchester's motion.

Manchester, who maintains that his motion was not politically motivated, said he would abide by Lunsford's ruling and did not want to "slam" Sloane.

"I am not the type of person that goes tit for tat," he said.

"I am the type of person that does my job."

Manchester said the proceedings had not affected his friendship with Sloane, and he continued to respect him as a prosecutor.

"That doesn't mean I agree with his decisions," he said.

Sloane, who described himself as the "little guy" in the race for judge, said the events surrounding the decision had been a "rude awakening."

"I kind of knew what I was getting into," he said. "I didn't think it was going to come this quick."