4/29/10: Judge Postpones Trial Of Man Accused Of Killing 2 Officers

The trial of a man accused of killing two Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers is postponed, a judge decided Thursday.

Demeatrius Montgomery is charged with shooting officers Sean Clark and Jeff Shelton in April 2007.

The trial won’t begin until fall.

• VIDEO: Judge Postpones Trial Of Man Accused Of Killing 2 Officers

The judge said the trial won’t begin until a study about the North Carolina Racial Justice Act is completed. The study focuses on whether African-Americans are put to death more often than whites. It will be completed in August, and then there will be a hearing in September about Montgomery facing the death penalty.

North Carolina's Racial Justice Act, which was signed into law last August, allows people facing murder charges and death-row inmates to try to show that racial bias is related to the decision to seek or impose the death penalty.

In court Thursday, Montgomery’s attorneys said he was unfit to stand trial, but prosecutors pointed out that a judge ruled last September that Montgomery is able to stand trial, and said there is no evidence to overturn that. The judge agreed that Montgomery is fit to stand trial, but said he won't do so until the study is completed.

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