The trial for Scott A. Armstrong, a Fulton man charged with third-degree assault after an incident with a minor, has been postponed. The trial, originally set to start Thursday, will be rescheduled to a later date. Callaway County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Wilson said the trial will be reset to give the defense some extra time and because the judge had a conflict with the original date.
Armstrong, 37, allegedly put a teenage boy in a choke hold last spring. In early March 2014, the boy and his parents reported the alleged incident to the Callaway County Sheriff's Office. According to the probable cause statement, they reported that Armstrong, a federal law enforcement officer at the time, put the teenage boy in a choke hold, cutting off his air and leading him to temporarily lose consciousness. Armstrong pleaded not guilty in June
At Armstrong's pre-trial conference Monday, Judge Gary M. Oxenhandler granted Armstrong's attorney's motion for a continuance. Wilson said Armstrong's attorney, Douglas C. Shull, filed the motion because he has a family member who has had medical problems, recently.
"That's affected his ability to prepare for the trial," Wilson said.
He added that the judge had a conflict with the original trial date, as well.
Armstrong's case, Wilson said, will go back on the trial-setting docket. The presiding judge - Judge Christine Carpenter -will schedule trials later this month. Wilson said Armstrong should have a new trial date by the end of January.
"I wouldn't expect it to be set for trial until probably March, maybe April," Wilson said.