Photo by Lauren PM

Good morning, Washington, and Happy Leap Day! Let’s, ummm, leap right to the news of the day.

Judge Postpones 2009 Metro Crash Wrongful Death Trials: A judge has postponed two wrongful death trials related to the 2009 Red Line Metro crash because repeated comments to the media by lawyers and parties to the case have “poisoned” the jury pool, reports the Legal Times blog. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton placed a gag order on all participants in the trial earlier this month, said yesterday that comments made by a plaintiff’s lawyer and a family member of one of the victims had made it impossible to find an impartial jury for the trial. The two trials have been postponed until late October and late November, respectively.

Freedom Plaza Occupiers to Remain Until Late April: The protest encampment that has been at Freedom Plaza since October will likely be staying a little longer. WTOP reports that protesters are working with the National Park Service to extend their permit, which was set to expire yesterday, until April 29. The encampment has been the more subdued of the two the District saw pop up late last year; police had to forcibly clear McPherson Square in early February, while a related action at Freedom Plaza went much more smoothly. Recently, a conservative group has taken to occupying the occupiers at Freedom Plaza with a much more pro-capitalism message.

Crowded Field in Ward 5 Race: Both the Post and the Washington Times are reporting on the crowded race to fill the Ward 5 seat on the D.C. Council vacated by disgraced former Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. Between 12 and 17 candidates could end up on the ballot for the May 15 Special Election, though a high-profile debate this Saturday limited invites to five perceived front-runners—Kenyan McDuffie, Delano Hunter, Republican Tim Day, Kathy Henderson, and Frank Wilds. That, of course, has provoked some complaints on Ward 5 listservs, offering but a small insight into how hotly contested the race could become over the next few months.

Briefly Noted: Two Maryland legislators want everyone in a car to wear a seatbelt … Real headline: “Homeless man tries to steal Secret Service car” … Five candidates challenging Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), and a Examiner columnist endorses one of them … Cite this case when you get caught driving 105 miles-per-hour on the Beltway in Prince George’s County … D.C. woman sues police for $1.5 million for shooting her dog.

This Leap Day in DCist: In 2011, there was no February 29. Nor in 2010 or 2009. But in 2008, Cooking Light magazine ranked D.C. the third-healthiest city in the country and we assessed the state of the District’s indie record stores.