SHORT TAKES : Lawsuit Against Mr. T Delayed

Mr. T , embroiled in a contract dispute with two former colleagues, will not face trial in the case until next April because of a shortage of courtroom space, his lawyer said Monday.

The burly actor’s trial had been scheduled to start today in Cook County Circuit Court.

But when his representatives showed up to be assigned a judge, they were told that the courts were so busy that the earliest trial date they could have would be April 8, said Anton Valukas, his attorney.

Mr. T--his legal name--is being sued by Calvin Hollins and John Batoy, who claim that he made them his agents a decade ago, promising them a lifetime cut of his earnings. At the time, Mr. T was a bouncer in a club where the other two men worked as bartenders.

Their suit seeks 20% of Mr. T’s earnings, a sum that could run into the millions.