An out-of-county judge and a state prosecutor have been assigned to the latest criminal case against Kings County district attorney's troubled son, who is now accused of attempted rape and robbery among other charges.

The arraignment for Clinton Eugene Calhoun, 31, of Hanford, was postponed until Thursday.

At Calhoun's initial court appearance Monday, Judge Steven Barnes recused himself, citing an obvious conflict of interest for knowing District Attorney Ronald Calhoun and having worked together in the past as Hanford police officers.

Barnes said he has already arranged for a visiting judge to handle Calhoun's case.

Meanwhile, Kings County prosecutors said their office - which is headed by Calhoun's father, Ronald Calhoun - won't be involved with the prosecution of Clinton Calhoun.

Assistant District Attorney Larry Crouch said the California Attorney General's Office will serve as the prosecutor of the case.

"The DA's office will have nothing to do with it," Crouch said outside the courtroom after Calhoun's initial appearance before the judge.

Clinton Calhoun was arrested and booked into jail Saturday afternoon, after he allegedly tried to force a woman to undress and then snatched her purse during the struggle in the Hanford Mall parking lot.

He faces four felony charges, including assault to commit rape, attempted rape, sexual battery and second degree robbery, court records show.

This is the latest development in a history of legal troubles that mark the adult life of Kings County's top prosecutor's son. His rap sheet goes back at least 12 years. However, he has never served time in prison.

"No comment," said Ronald Calhoun on Monday.

As for the alleged incident that resulted in Clinton Calhoun's latest arrest, Hanford Police Capt. David Scott said he "walked up to a female and attempted to remove her pants."

"During the struggle, witnesses saw what was happening and came in to her aid. There was also a struggle over her purse," he said.

When Calhoun fled the scene, the witnesses called the police, Scott said. The incident was reported around 12:30 p.m.

Calhoun was arrested by police in a central Hanford neighborhood within two hours.

The victim of the assault, in her early 20s, suffered no injuries as a result of the incident, Scott said.

"It's an open and shut case," Scott said. "There's not a whole lot of details to it. Luckily, the witnesses were there to help prevent (the crime) from getting any further than it did."

Clinton Calhoun is a registered sex offender, although his information is not posted on the Megan Law's Web site. That is because his previous crime was reduced to a misdemeanor of indecent exposure, which is excluded from the Web disclosure, as part of a plea bargain.

But the most recent charge of attempted rape is a crime that must be disclosed on the Web site.

Also, Calhoun is only a few months into his probation. A judge who approved his probation had indicated that violating it would result in two years in prison.

Calhoun was arrested multiple times in 2005 for charges ranging from resisting arrest to felony child molestation. He was also arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at his girlfriend's father while stealing his car in Modesto.

Records show he subsequently spent time in jail in Stanislaus County, while facing criminal cases in Kings County.

Late last year, he was placed on a three-year probation in Kings County.

The reporter may be reached at 582-0471, ext. 3059.

(April 10, 2007)