The Federal Judge presiding over Microsoft Corp’s antitrust case has officially postponed the start of the trial for two weeks. Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, at a hearing Thursday to review progress in the case, said that the trial, originally scheduled to begin September 8, would now kick off on September 23. The delay wasn’t unexpected after skirmishes between the company and the government arose over the process of deposing certain Microsoft executives. The depositions of Bill Gates and others were delayed while a debate over public and media attendance took place. Judge Jackson ruled that the depositions were to be open, but on Wednesday an appellate court overturned that decision, allowing for the depositions to begin behind closed doors. The delays have prevented both sides from attending to pre-trial preparations, leading the Judge to his decision to postpone. Under a new schedule announced on Thursday, the Justice Department must identify its expert witnesses on September 2, with Microsoft doing the same on September 4. Both sides must submit their pretrial statements by September 14 and a pretrial conference has been slated for September 17.
