NATCHEZ — The trial of a teenager accused in the robbery and fatal shooting of a 16-year-old acquaintance was put on hold Monday after the court granted his attorney permission to walk away from the case.

Eddie Minor III, 18, was scheduled to go to trial today for the December robbery and shooting of Jessie E .Taylor, 16.

But Monday the court delayed the trial until Nov. 10 at the request of the defendant’s attorney, Larry Stamps. Stamps had asked the court for leave of the case.

Stamps told the court his request was because he has spent money on the case but hasn’t been paid for his work.

The attorney told Judge Forrest “Al” Johnson that “circumstances” had prevented Minor’s family from being able to meet the requirements of his legal retainer.

“This is a very serious case that requires my complete time and attention, and I would have thought by now the circumstances would have been resolved, but they have not,” Stamps said.

When asked if the prosecution had any objections to the delay, Assistant District Attorney Tim Cotton said the state was ready to proceed to trial but willing to delay when considering the representation issue.

“We don’t want to this to come down the road where (Minor) says Mr. Stamps did not act in his best interest because Mr. Stamps wasn’t paid,” Cotton said.

Johnson granted the request but noted the circumstances weren’t ideal.

“The court is not exactly pleased with this situation, right on the eve of the trial for the reasons we are dealing with today,” he said.

But the primary consideration is Minor’s right as a defendant to have an adequate defense, Johnson said.

The judge appointed two attorneys, Carmen Brooks and Shemeka Collins, to serve as Minor’s defense.

The new trial date will coincide with that of Minor’s co-defendent, Emanuel C. Latham Jr., who was 15 at the time of his arrest.

Minor and Latham were indicted in the case together, but in June Latham’s attorneys had his case severed to be tried separately from Minor’s.

The two are accused of meeting with Taylor on the night of Dec. 28 — allegedly to sell him synthetic marijuana — and botching a robbery that led to shots fired, wounding Taylor, who died early the next morning.