Sen. won’t testify in escort case

A federal judge spared Sen. David Vitter an embarrassing appearance on the witness stand in a prostitution case when she abruptly canceled a hearing scheduled for next week.

The Louisiana Republican was under subpoena to testify about his ties to a Washington escort service. Deborah Jeane Palfrey, accused of running a prostitution ring, had sought to question Vitter about whether he paid for sex.

But U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler canceled the hearing, saying it served no purpose in the criminal case. It was Kessler who originally set the hearing but, after seeing Palfrey’s witness list, the judge said she was convinced Palfrey was just trying to game the judicial system.