Coleman Murder Trial Delayed

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[A Monroe County judge Thursday postponed the trial of a southwestern Illinois man who faces the death penalty if convicted of strangling his wife and their two sons.

Jury selection in the case against triple murder suspect Chris Coleman was scheduled to begin in Pinckneyville on Tuesday, February 15.

The courthouse is closed today and it is not sure how the decision will affect the start of that jury selection.

Jurors in the case were to be selected from a pool of 300 here in Perry County, but the trial itself will be held at the courthouse in Waterloo.

Perry County Circuit Clerk was to have met with Monroe County court and sheriff's department personnel this week to map final plans for the jury selection, which is to be held at the Knights of Columbus hall in Pinckneyville.

After the 300 are given their instructions, that pool was to be broken down into smaller groups of 30, which will be interviewed by attorneys over the subsequent 10 days.

Circuit Judge Milton Wharton on Thursday delayed Christopher Coleman's Monroe County trial so his attorneys can have what they call new DNA evidence tested. It was to begin next week.

The judge says denying the defense request could result in a higher court reversing any conviction. Wharton set the next hearing for mid-April.

Coleman has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the May 2009 killings of his wife, Sheri, and their 11- and 9-year-old sons.

The trial delay comes as Gov. Pat Quinn weighs whether to sign a bill that would abolish the death penalty in Illinois.

Coleman remains jailed.