Houston judge makes pivotal ruling in murder trial of David Temple, former coach and Katy high football player accused of killing wife

David Temple arrives for a hearing at the 178th District Court Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, in Houston. The former Alief Hastings High School football coach spent almost a decade in prison after being convicted of killing his wife but his conviction was reversed last year. He is awaiting retrial in Harris County. >>>See a timeline of the David Temple case ... less David Temple arrives for a hearing at the 178th District Court Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, in Houston. The former Alief Hastings High School football coach spent almost a decade in prison after being convicted of ... more Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, TempleAppears1010 / Godofredo A. Vasquez Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, TempleAppears1010 / Godofredo A. Vasquez Image 1 of / 48 Caption Close Houston judge makes pivotal ruling in murder trial of David Temple, former coach and Katy high football player accused of killing wife 1 / 48 Back to Gallery

The trial for David Temple, the Alief Hastings High School football coach whose conviction for his wife’s murder was overturned because of prosecutorial misconduct, has been delayed until June 20.

His trial was originally set to begin on Feb. 1, just over 20 years from the date of the infamous killing. But neither side has said for sure whether he actually will stand trial again.

The criminal case against the football coach was controversial from the beginning, since Temple was not charged with the crime until years after it occurred. Harris County prosecutors argued that Temple, who was having an affair with an school employee, shot his pregnant wife to death in their Katy home and attempted to make the homicide appear to be a botched home invasion.

His defense attorney claimed that prosecutors did not disclose they had alternative suspects for the slaying of Belinda Lucas Temple. And they said a timeline of the coach’s movements the day of the slaying made it nearly impossible for him to have committed the crime.

Special prosecutors from the Texas Attorney General’s Office in Austin have been tasked with the decision of whether to retry Temple in the Jan. 11, 1999, killing of Belinda Lucas Temple.

In court on Tuesday, both sides seemed to want to postpone the trial — it had been set to begin in 10 days. State District Judge Kelli Johnson agreed to grant a continuance.

Neither the prosecutors nor Temple's attorney, Stanley Schneider — who was successful in getting the first conviction overturned —spoke after Tuesday’s hearing.

brian.rogers@chron.com