VIDALIA, La. &045; Anyone waiting for news in the Ferriday vote-tampering case will just have to wait two more weeks.

The only motion ruled on at a hearing Wednesday in Concordia Parish’s Seventh Judicial District for three men indicted in a vote-tampering case in Ferriday was to give the prosecution a continuance until 10 a.m. Aug. 19, when another hearing will take place. Wednesday’s hearing was supposed to decide a number of motions put forth by both sides in preparation for an upcoming trial.

There are four other defendants in the case, but they are currently assigned to Division B, while the three who had a hearing Wednesday are in Division A. The seven defendants in the case are Willie Robinson, Justin Conner, Emerson Slain, Henrietta Williams, James Skipper, Eloise Polk and Shirley Mason.

They are split up between Division A and B, something Judge Kathy Johnson said will need to be changed.

There was no one present from the Louisiana Attorney General’s office, which took over prosecution after the Concordia District Attorney’s office withdrew from the case citing conflicts.

Arthur Schafer, the lawyer from the Louisiana Attorney General’s office handling the case, requested a continuance due to a death in his family. Schafer’s daughter died July 22.

Johnson granted the continuance and, after consulting with defense counsel, moved the hearing.

Derrick Carson, lawyer for James Skipper, one of the defendants, said the Attorney General should have sent someone.

&uot;They have numerous attorneys that could have appeared,&uot; Carson said.

Johnson said she would ask the attorney general’s office to add co-counsel for Schafer so there would not be a similar delay in the future.

Four of the defendants &045; Robinson, Conner, Slain and Williams &045; were in court Wednesday. Skipper was not transported from the Concordia Parish Correctional Facility for the hearing. Carson told Johnson he can not effectively defend his client if Skipper is not transported to hearings.