This story has been updated with Amber Guyger's trial date.

Former Dallas police Officer Amber Guyger had a court date Monday but the only movement in the case happened outside the courtroom.

Her murder trial was set Monday for Aug. 12 -- less than a year since Guyger shot and killed Botham Jean in his own apartment. She was off-duty but still in uniform when she shot Jean once in the chest.

Guyger told law enforcement she confused Jean's apartment with her own and thought he was a burglar. She said his door was unlocked and ajar, though Jean's family has questioned that account.

Murder cases in Dallas County usually take more than a year to go to trial. It's also common for trials to be delayed.

Also on Monday, Kemp signed a subpoena requested by prosecutors for records related to any cruises Guyger took on Royal Caribbean between Sept. 23 to March 4.

Even though nothing happened in the courtroom, Guyger is obligated to appear at the courthouse. That doesn't mean nothing is happening in the case. It just doesn't happen in public.

An "announcement setting" was scheduled for Monday. This wasn't a formal hearing before the judge, State District Judge Tammy Kemp.

But Kemp could have decided she wants to see Guyger, her attorneys Robert Rogers and Toby Shook, and Dallas County prosecutor Jason Hermus in her courtroom or chambers.

A large photo of Botham Jean with photos and cards displayed on one of the tables in his childhood home in Castries, St. Lucia in September. Botham Jean was shot and killed in his apartment by off-duty Dallas police officer Amber Guyger. She was charged with murder. (Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)

What is an 'announcement setting'?

Usually this period of a criminal case passes with little notice from the public. But the death of Jean, a 26-year-old accountant who wanted to one day return to his native St. Lucia and run for prime minister, was international news. Local and national reporters and photographers show up for Guyger's court settings.

Amber Guyger (Mesquite PD)

Announcement settings serve several purposes, said defense attorney Becky Dodds, a former Dallas prosecutor. But mainly, she said, it helps the judge hold attorneys and defendants who are free on bond, like Guyger, accountable.

Dodds said her clients often ask "why am I here?" when they show up but don't appear before a judge. She explains to defendants that the requirement they show up benefits them.

The settings give defendants a chance to talk to their attorneys, Dodds said. Some lawyers communicate better than others, and requiring defendants and defense attorneys to show up is essentially the judge asking: "Hey, lawyers, are you talking to your clients?"

Typically, these dates allow the defense and prosecutors to talk about evidence in the case, possible plea deals and sentence recommendations.

Plea deals don't happen after one meeting, Dodds said. Such agreements are reached over time. New evidence could mean prosecutors change the deal they offered: probation or more or less prison time.

Former Dallas police Officer Amber Guyger (left) walks the hallway on her for court date at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas on Monday. Guyger is charged with murder in the Sept. 6 shooting death of Botham Jean in his own apartment. (Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)

What happens if Amber Guyger doesn't show up for court?

Most Dallas County felony court judges require defendants to show up for announcement settings, defense attorney Angel Mata said.

A judge can revoke bond for no-shows and issue a warrant for their arrest, she said.

"If they could be there and they don't show up, there's going to be a problem," Mata said.

Not that a judge won't be understanding if a defendant can't leave work but can be in court the next day, she said.

What has happened on Amber Guyger's court dates?

The judge issued a gag order in January after the first court date. She met in her chambers with the attorneys involved in the case.

What else has happened, if anything, is difficult for the public to know because the gag order prevents the attorneys involved in the criminal case and Guyger from speaking publicly.

Typically, Guyger has waited in a nearby office while her attorneys talk to prosecutors. Before Guyger leaves the courthouse she signs a form, known as a "pass slip," that sets the time of the next court date.