Judge refuses to release former Saints safety Darren Sharper from jail

darren-sharper-997215c258428a73 — NFL All-Pro safety Darren Sharper appears on Monday, March 24, 2014, in Los Angeles Superior Court in Los Angeles. The judge has again refused to release Sharper from jail. Sharper is awaiting trial in Los Angeles after pleading not guilty to charges that he raped and drugged two women last year. He was previously released on $1 million bail before being charged in Arizona with similar counts. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Wally Skalij, Pool)

NFL All-Pro safety Darren Sharper appears on Monday, March 24, 2014, in Los Angeles Superior Court in Los Angeles. The judge has again refused to release Sharper from jail. Sharper is awaiting trial in Los Angeles after pleading not guilty to charges that he raped and drugged two women last year. He was previously released on $1 million bail before being charged in Arizona with similar counts. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Wally Skalij, Pool)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge in Los Angeles has again refused to release former NFL All-Pro safety Darren Sharper from jail.

Sharper is awaiting trial in Los Angeles after pleading not guilty to charges that he raped and drugged two women last year. He was previously released on $1 million bail before being charged in Arizona with similar counts.

Now, his lawyers say he should be freed again and kept under house arrest because authorities in Arizona have said they won’t seek his extradition.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Renee Korn rejected that argument on Monday, saying she would wait and see if Arizona does seek extradition.

Her ruling came after prosecutors said the Arizona governor’s office is preparing a warrant to extradite Sharper, even though he will first go on trial in Los Angeles. An April 15 hearing was set.