Oral arguments in Larry Craig case set for post-convention

When Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, comes to St. Paul for the Republican National Convention, he’ll be staying a few extra days — to have his day in court. Oral arguments are set for Sept. 10 in his appeal to clear his name after his arrest in a sex sting at a Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport restroom.

Craig, who announced he would resign his Senate seat but later reneged, is not seeking re-election. He has been trying to persuade Minnesota courts to withdraw his plea of guilty to disorderly conduct stemming from "offensive" behavior with an undercover officer in a pair of restroom stalls that resulted in his arrest on June 11,  2007.  A Hennepin County District Court judge denied Craig’s motion to have his guilty plea dismissed.

A three-judge panel at the Minnesota Court of Appeals will hear from Craig’s lawyers shortly after the convention wraps up.