His defence team had wanted to extend the previously scheduled April 20 hearing to January 2016 but last week District Judge Irene Berger reset it to July 13.
“The defence said it needed more time to review and process 4 million pages of documents and almost 500 transcripts of interviews produced in the evidence gathering phase of the case,”Bloomberg reported.
The team is also reportedly trying to persuade a Delaware judge to order 2011 Massey acquirer Alpha Natural Resources to pay for Blankenship’s defence costs.
“Judge Andre Bouchard, after hearing arguments Wednesday, hasn’t ruled on that request,” the news wire reported.
Blankenship is facing charges of conspiring to violate safety standards, defrauding federal investigators and falsifying coal dust samples. He faces up to 31 years in prison if convicted.
An underground gas explosion, believed to have been further fuelled by the ignition of coal dust, killed 29 miners at the Massey-operated UBB longwall mine in April 2010.
