The case against former Illini football player Jody Ellis was granted a continuance on the pretrial stage until Nov. 6 this morning. At that time a date for the hearings to begin is scheduled.

Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said that the continuance was granted on the request of his lawyer, Ed Piraino.

Ellis and Derrick McPhearson, another former Illini football player, are being charged with four counts of burglary and two counts of theft. The charges came after a March 2 incident where the two were found to be in possession of stolen laptops, digital music players and wallets after a minor traffic accident.

Following the arrest, both men were removed from the football team.

McPhearson’s trial is set to begin on Oct. 22.

Rietz said, however, that there is a possibility of media coverage of the trials declining.

“I guess as time passes the media becomes less and less interested,” she said.