Jefferson Parish Judge Conn Regan granted a continuance motion in the murder trial of former New Orleans broadcaster Vince Marinello.  The new trial date is set for September 15.  It was to have started Monday in Lafayette.

The judge granted the motion after prosecutors filed papers saying they had no objection to the defense's request to delay the trial.

In papers filed Thursday, prosecutors explained why they were late in providing evidence to the defense team. That evidence, which includes an 18-month-old DNA report prosecutors received only two weeks ago, led Marinello's attorneys to ask the judge to put off the trial.

The defense has been very successful in delaying this trial, says Loyola law school professor Dane Ciolino.

"One of the principle tactics all along has been to drag this case out," said Ciolino.  Previous delays have stemmed from changes in public defenders to a change of venue hearing that resulted in the trial being moved to Lafayette, because of pre-trial publicity.

The case against Marinello dates back to the September 1, 2006 fatal shooting of Liz Marinello in Old Metairie. For the past 17 months, Vince Marinello has been out of jail but under house arrest as a condition of his $750,000 bond, and he is expected to remain so through his trial.

With the new trial date of September 15, Marinello will have stayed out of jail for more than two years since the crime was committed.