A court filing submitted Tuesday says Gov. Chris Christie will appear in a Bergen County courtroom next month to answer a citizen's criminal complaint related to the 2013 George Washington Bridge lane closures.
But a source close to the case says such an appearance is unlikely, despite Christie's attorney having signed a stipulation Wednesday that the governor would appear in court on Nov. 23.
Last week, Judge Roy McGeady ruled that there was probable cause for a complaint of official misconduct against the governor related to the George Washington Bridge lane closures in 2013.
But the source said Wednesday that the judge's finding is being appealed. Additionally, even if the appeal is lost and the Bergen County prosecutor decides to pursue the case, Christie has the right waive a first appearance.
A spokesman for the governor said last week that the complaint filed by activist Bill Brennan was a "dishonorable complaint filed by a serial complainant" and that Christie had no knowledge of the lane closures before or while they happened on Sept. 9, 2013.
Brennan, meanwhile, has said that Christie "should spend seven years in jail" for his alleged role in the lane closures. Brennan's complaint alleged that Christie knew about the lane closures the day they happened and didn't require his subordinates to reopen the roadway.
The complaint comes during a trial for two former Christie aids charged in the lane-closing scandal.
Christie's approval ratings have hit an all-time low in recent months, according to a poll of registered voters conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University. Just 21 percent of those polled approved of the job the governor was doing. Sixty-five percent of respondents also said they had an unfavorable view of Christie.
