SAN DIEGO -- Councilman Michael Zucchet will assume the role of interim San Diego mayor Monday, when he presides over the City Council's first meeting since Dick Murphy left office last week.

Zucchet will take over the mayor's duties, even though a jury is deliberating his fate and that of fellow Councilman Ralph Inzunza in the "stripper-gate" federal corruption trial.

The councilmen are accused of taking money from strip club owner Michael Galardi in exchange for help in repealing San Diego's "no-touch" nude dancing ordinance. That law was never changed.

If the jury comes back with a guilty verdict, Zucchet will be forced to resign his office. If Zucchet is acquitted, he will serve as interim mayor until a new mayor is elected.

A special election is being held July 26. If none of the 11 candidates gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held on Nov. 8.

City Attorney Michael Aguirre wants the council to appoint an interim deputy mayor Monday who would step in if Zucchet is convicted and is unable to serve as mayor. However, the issue was not docketed for discussion.

Murphy announced he was resigning in April, one week after Time magazine named him one of the three worst big-city mayors in the United States.

Murphy left office on Friday, only seven months into a second term marred by numerous fiscal problems and federal investigations related to San Diego's mounting $1.7 billion pension shortfall.

San Diego has also been unable to secure long-delayed audits of the city's finances, which has made it difficult for the city to borrow money to pay for needed infrastructure projects, such as sewer improvements.