PROVO, Utah — Fugitive-turned-Utah prison inmate Nicholas Rossi has been given more time to secure the funds to hire an attorney for his upcoming rape trial.
Appearing remotely from jail Tuesday, Rossi barely spoke with an oxygen masked strapped to his face, but was able to request a continuance of one month, which was granted by Judge Derek Pullan.
Before hearing from Rossi, prosecutor Stephen Jones was hoping to have a public defender assigned so that the trial could get underway. However, Rossi's current attorney, Lance Bastian, said his client was hoping to retain his services, but was having trouble getting the money to the U.S.
According to Bastian, the difficulty stems from communication issues between Rossi and his wife, who is still in the U.K., in regards to setting up financial arrangements to retain Bastian as his attorney.
"She's just got a lot on her plate that she's dealing with right now under the circumstances," Bastian told the judge. "They are working on it. It's an active process, but it has just taken some time."
When asked by Judge Pullan how much time he would need, Bastian referred to Rossi to answer the question, calling him "Mr. Knight," alluding to Rossi's insistence that he is not Nicholas Rossi and is instead a man named Arthur Knight.
In a barely audible voice, Rossi asked for one month, which was granted despite Jones' frustration over the continuous delays.
Pullan decided to grant the continuance to give Rossi time to gather funds to hire Bastian, setting the next hearing for April 16.
Rossi, who was extradited from Scotland after fleeing the country to avoid rape charges, has had several scheduled court since arriving in the U.S. late last year, often causing confusion by requesting to be called by a new name, using a British accent or not appearing at all.
