A district court judge Wednesday re-set to Jan. 17 a probation revocation hearing for Lafayette City Marshal Brian Pope, referring the matter to the district attorney's office.

Judge Jules Edwards of the 15th Judicial District Court ruled Wednesday The Independent Weekly did not have the legal standing to request a hearing to revoke Pope's probation in a civil case involving the two.

Instead, Edwards said he would refer the matter to the district attorney's office. If the DA decides to request a probation revocation hearing, Pope will be back in Edwards' courtroom Jan. 17.

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Pope's attorney, Edward Hughes, argued Wednesday that The Independent and its attorney, Gary McGoffin, had no standing as private entities to call for a probation revocation hearing.

Edwards agreed, telling Pope, "Why on Earth you would choose to throw the gauntlet at the district attorney, tempting, teasing the district attorney to intervene in this case ... is mystifying. Much of your conduct is mystifying."

READ MORE: Edwards says Pope trying to delay hearing

Saying he is a patient man, Edwards described the case as "a very tortured experience."

When someone who is found guilty of a crime admits they did wrong and harmed others, the penalty does not have to be large, Edwards said.

But when the person does not admit guilt and minimizes the harm they've done to others, he said, "the punishment has to be large to send the message that this wrong has harmed the community.

"Marshal Pope," he said, "you need to decide whether or not you have done anything wrong."

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Edwards asked Pope to reflect on what he advised Wednesday, on whether Pope has meaningfully attempted to repair the harm he did and whether there is anything Pope can do before Jan. 17 to convince the judge he's working to repair that harm.

The Independent prevailed in a civil lawsuit filed in 2015 against Pope, who refused to release emails that are considered public records. As part of his sentence in March 2016 Pope was required to complete community service work. He did nothing until Dec. 16, when he spent the day picking up litter.

Hughes said during court Wednesday that Pope "continues to be in compliance" with his probation and has until November 2018 to complete the community service.

Pope also faces felony charges of malfeasance in office and perjury.