The attempted murder trial for 20-year-old Iowa City resident Branden Plummer will be held in 6th District Court in Tama County, according to online court documents. All pretrial proceedings will be held at the Johnson County Courthouse.

Plummer, who attended classes at the University of Iowa last semester but who is no longer listed in the UI directory, allegedly assaulted police Sgt. Brian Krei on Nov. 18, 2011. Police reports said Krei approached Plummer because he was disrupting traffic at the intersection of Linn and Burlington Streets. Plummer allegedly proceeded to strangle Krei, causing the officer to lose consciousness when his head hit the sidewalk.

Sixth District Judge Paul Miller also denied Plummer attorney Mark Brown’s motions to have the Iowa Attorney General’s Office prosecute the case and for a bill of particulars.

Brown had contended that the alleged victim being a peace officer may place pressure on the County Attorney’s Office to "over-charge" the case.

Plummer’s motion to dismiss the case was also overruled.

Brown also requested to move the trial, originally set to begin Feb. 21, to a later date.

— by Beth Bratsos