Attorneys for a Minneapolis man charged in connection with the 2004 break-in at the UI Spence Labs requested his trial be delayed.

Scott DeMuth, 22, is charged with conspiracy to commit animal-enterprise terrorism.

His attorneys asked for a 45-day extension to file pretrial motions, which would move the trial from March 1 to any convenient day in June.

DeMuth’s current “family situation” — he has two young children and his wife will work as a school teacher until June 1 — is the reason for the continuance request, according to federal court documents. Attorneys also wrote DeMuth will not complete his classroom work at the University of Minnesota until the end of May.

On Nov. 14, 2004, four masked individuals broke into Spence Labs and caused around $450,000 in damages. The Animal Liberation Front claimed credit for the break-in.

— by Sam Lane