San Angelo, USA - The trial of Warren Jeffs on a felony bigamy charge has been tentatively set back to Feb. 15, 2012.
The trial was originally scheduled to start Oct. 3.
At a pretrial hearing Friday morning, which Jeffs, who is in a Galveston hospital, attended by telephone, the prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was given the new date after 51st District Judge Barbara Walther asked him whether he would request additional time. Jeffs said he would.
A pretrial hearing is now set to take place Jan. 6.
Jeffs has been recovering in the prison hospital after being treated in Tyler following an episode of malnourishment apparently brought on by fasting.
A spokesman with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said Jeffs also was treated for medical issues unrelated to the fasting.
It was not known when he would return to Huntsville state prison, where he is serving a term of life plus 20 years on two convictions of sexual assault of a child.
When Walther asked if he has an attorney in this case, Jeffs replied that he is seeking legal representation.
At the end of the hearing, the court addressed his sexual assault cases.
Last week, an attorney for Jeffs filed a handwritten motion filing for a retrial in the two cases.
Walther said she would read the motion and set a hearing if necessary.
She also cautioned Jeffs that if he were to appeal the case he would still have to do so within 75 days of his convictions.
"You need to be aware of that, and that I don't have the authority to change that time period," Walther said.