Furrow Lawyers Get More Time to Prepare for Murder Trial

The federal trial of Buford O. Furrow Jr. has been delayed for three months to give the defense more time to prepare, now that the government is seeking the death penalty against the white supremacist.

Furrow is accused of opening fire on a Jewish community center and then killing a Filipino American letter carrier.

U.S. District Judge Nora Manella said in a written order that the case has grown in complexity and that failure to postpone the November trial “would result in a miscarriage of justice.”

Manella said Furrow’s defense needs more time to review reports, interview witnesses and prepare pretrial motions in a case complicated by thorny mental health issues and the government’s decision to seek the death penalty. In some instances, Manella wrote, the case will raise “novel questions of law.”

She gave lawyers until Monday to file pretrial motions not related to death penalty issues. And the judge gave Furrow’s lawyers until Aug. 18 to tell prosecutors whether they intends to raise an insanity defense.

The trial now is scheduled to begin Feb. 6.

Furrow, a native of Washington state, stands accused of 16 federal counts--including murder, attempted murder and hate crimes--in connection with allegedly racially motivated shootings in the San Fernando Valley on Aug. 10.

He is accused of fatally shooting uniformed Postal Service employee Joseph Ileto that day. Just hours earlier, Furrow allegedly had opened fire--wounding three young boys, a teenage girl and a woman--at the North Valley Jewish Community Center.

Furrow allegedly told authorities he had no regrets about shooting Ileto because his skin was brown and he wore a government uniform.