Judge delays Stanford criminal trial; no date set

HOUSTON, (Reuters) – A U.S. federal judge yesterday  postponed the criminal trial of Houston financier Allen  Stanford after testimony that he suffers from depression.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner did not set a new trial  date.
Stanford’s attorney’s sought a two-year delay of the trial  which was scheduled to begin on January 24. Government  prosecutors argued a shorter delay was more reasonable.
Stanford, 60, has pleaded not guilty to a 21-count  indictment charging him with leading a $7 billion Ponzi scheme  run out of Stanford Internatonal Bank Ltd  on the island of  Antigua.