A defense lawyer was fined 5,000 lei ($1,148) on Tuesday for ignoring dress regulations and being tardy in the Bucharest trial of five Romanians accused of perpetrating last fall's $24 million art heist from the Kunsthal museum in Rotterdam.

Wearing bright blue sneakers to court, Catalin Dancu is the lawyer representing Radu Dogaru. His client stands accused of being the ringleader of the theft that netted major works by Picasso, Matisse and Monet, among others.

Dogaru was denied a trial in a Dutch court and faces harsher penalties if convicted in Romania.

Last month, Dogaru said he would return five of seven missing paintings if he could have the trial in The Netherlands. He is currently refusing to produce any paintings now that his trial is set in Romania. His mother, Olga Dogaru, initially told investigators that she burned the paintings. While evidence of oil paintings were found in her stove, she later retracted the statement.

Proceedings were adjourned after Dogaru's lawyer moved for the judge to be suspended in the case, which another court will rule on.

Dogaru and his accomplices stole seven masterpieces from the Triton Collection on loan to the Kunsthal museum in October 2012.