Rob Ampar?, an associate of Tony Serra, asserts right to trial within 30-day time period

John Mark Karr, the former suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey murder, got a trio of new lawyers Tuesday to fight his five-year-old child pornography case in Sonoma County.

Karr, 41, remains in a Colorado jail pending extradition to Santa Rosa by Sept. 13. Citing security and publicity concerns, authorities have refused to say when Karr would be transported.

During a brief hearing Tuesday morning, San Francisco attorney Rob Ampar? officially took over Karr's case from the Sonoma C ounty public defender. He and two associates will defend Karr on the misdemeanor charges.

Signaling an aggressive defense, Ampar? promptly asserted Karr's right to a speedy trial and asked Judge Cerena Wong to al low Karr to be release d from custody.

Withdrawal of the time waiver, which Karr agreed to while in custody in 2001, means prosecutors have 30 days - until Oct. 5 - to try him on allegations that he had five images in a computer showing children in sexual situations.

"This puts a fire under this particular case," Wong said, adding that she would not release Karr in the meantime. "So the ball is with the "people" at this point," she said, referring to the prosecution.

Prosecutor Joan Risse said she didn't know when Karr would be brought back to Sonoma County.

Karr was brought back from Thailand last month amid worldwide scrutiny. But the Colorado case collapsed beca use Karr's DNA did not match samp les taken a t the crime scene.

That pointed Karr back to Sonoma County, where he has been wanted on a warrant for failing to appear for a 2001 court appearance in a possession of child pornography case.

Ampar?, a former San Francisco public defender, works with a group of attorneys that includes famed civil rights lawyer Tony Serra, who defended Huey Newton of the Black Panthers, vigilante mom Ellie Nesler, Earth First activist Judy Bari and Eugene "Bear" Lincoln, a Round Valley Indian accused of gunning down a Mendocino County sheriff's deputy in a shootout that left two people dead.

Ampar? said Karr's Colorado defense team suggested Serra handle the Sonoma County case. But he took it over because Serra's license to practice law is suspended following a misdemeanor tax evasion conviction.

Ampar? said it was premature to discuss any additional aspects of Karr's defense, including whether he would seek to unseal police documents related to Karr's arrest or move for a change of venue for his well-known client.

Despite his client's infamous and bizarre confession in the Ramsey case, Ampar? said he will vigorously defend him against the local charges.

"We think Mr. Karr deserves some protection and we're happy to provide that," he said.

Because he is charged with misdemeanors, Karr has a right to bail unless a judge determines he is a flight risk or a danger to the community, Ampar? said. While he has no criminal history, Karr failed to appear in 2001.

Ampar? declined to say whether he is taking the high-profile case without a fee.

Karr, who was briefly a substitute teacher in Petaluma and Napa, was represented at public expense in 2001 and in Colorado last month.