HAMMOND | Lake County Democratic icon Robert Pastrick plans to bow out of a court fight with the state of Indiana.

His attorney, Mike Bosch, filed papers in Hammond federal court Wednesday asking Senior Judge James Moody to enter a default judgment against Pastrick and his lone remaining codefendant, former aide James Fife III. The men will not appear Tuesday for the start of the long-anticipated civil trial that would have explored the sidewalks-for-votes scandal that marred the end of Pastrick's 33-year reign over East Chicago.

A source close to Pastrick, 82, said he is in fragile health, which might have been strained by weeks of courtroom action. And a person with knowledge of Pastrick's finances said Pastrick has few significant assets to protect from a possible civil judgment.

Moody has not entered the judgment Bosch requested. But in a phone conference Thursday, Bosch and Fife told Moody the defendants do not plan to appear for trial Tuesday, according to federal court records. State lawyers will come to court Tuesday, and they plan to move for default judgments, court records state.

Moody will hear arguments about potential damages against Pastrick and Fife on June 4.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller sounded a triumphant note Thursday. Zoeller, who inherited the case from former Attorney General Steve Carter, pointed to the dozens of defendants who settled out of the case instead of facing trial.

"The majority of the defendants have already settled, and the fact that the two remaining defendants are willing to take a default judgment speaks volumes," Zoeller said in a written statement.

Moody has placed a gag order on lawyers and parties in the case. Pastrick did not return a call for comment, and Fife declined to comment when he was reached at home in Munster.

Bosch's move cancels the coda to Pastrick's half-century career atop Lake County's Democratic Party. Pastrick was a 44-year-old journeyman city official when he took the mayor's office in 1971. For three decades, Pastrick helmed the Lake County Democratic machine from the mayor's office. Former police officer George Pabey dislodged the King of Steeltown in a 2004 special election ordered after a fraudulent 2003 race.

In 2003, a federal grand jury indicted the Sidewalk Six, a group of city officials eventually convicted in a scheme to sway voters in the 1999 Democratic primary by paying $24 million in public funds to improve private properties.

Pastrick never was charged criminally, but Carter made an unprecedented legal move in 2004, suing Pastrick and his top aides for allegedly running East Chicago as a "corrupt enterprise" during the sidewalks-for-votes scheme. Until this week, state lawyers planned several weeks of courtroom arguments aimed at using the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Enterprises Act, also known as the RICO Act, to hold Pastrick and Fife civilly liable for the $24 million.

Pending his ruling on the default judgment, Moody will decide how much Pastrick and Fife must pay.

Almost all of Pastrick's original codefendants settled with the state. As of May 13, 15 former city officials and contractors had settled for $1,281,775, said Bryan Corbin, Zoeller's spokesman.

The state is owed another $18 million in default judgments from contractors, Corbin said.

Several Democratic officials, East Chicago politicians and lawyers reached Thursday declined to comment. East Chicago City Councilman Lenny Franciski voiced disappointment at the trial's likely cancellation.

"I'm sure if it went to trial, it probably would be a little more fair for the people," he said.