BY BETH VELLIQUETTE

bvelliquette@heraldsun.com; 419-6632

PITTSBORO — Rielle Hunter, who was John Edwards’ mistress as he launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States and who is at the center of a legal drama involving a sex tape she made with the former candidate, was not in the courtroom Friday as N.C. Superior Court Judge Abraham Penn Jones found Andrew and Cheri Young guilty of contempt for not turning over the videotape.

Before the hearing, attorneys for Hunter and for the Youngs, and sometimes the Youngs themselves, met behind closed doors with the judge for nearly an hour before Jones entered the courtroom and the proceeding began.

The hearing consisted of the judge explaining what happened in the back room.

Although most of the negotiations were done in the judge’s chambers, Jones said he was going to repeat what he already told the Youngs.

“I want you to know that in our country matters are resolved in courts of law and you’re going to get a fair hearing,” Jones said.

The judge went on to say that he was concerned last Thursday when Young did not turn over the items to an Orange County sheriff’s deputy without giving a reason and that Young was trying to avoid being served with a show cause order to appear in court.

“I have the authority to place you in custody right now, but I’m not going to do that,” Jones said.

The Youngs’ attorneys assured him that he would cooperate, Jones said.

Hunter, who according to the judge was on standby somewhere in the vicinity, did not appear during the hearing.

While she was pregnant, Hunter lived with the Youngs in luxury homes in North Carolina and California as they tried to stay hidden from the media.