Judge denies US request to set Stanford trial date

HOUSTON Oct 14 (Reuters) - A judge declined on Wednesday a U.S. government request to set a trial date for Allen Stanford, as the alleged swindler appeared in court for the first time since a bruising jail brawl.

At a status hearing, Judge David Hittner said Stanford's attorneys need more time "to get some arms" around the case.

Hittner said he will declare a trial date after the next court hearing, which will likely be set for December.

"You will get a trial date set by me after the next conference," Hittner said.

Stanford, 59, was arrested on June 18 and faces 21 criminal counts. He is accused of masterminding an alleged $7 billion scheme where fraudulent certificates of deposit from an Antiguan bank were sold to clients.

He became ill during the hearing, and spat into a Styrofoam cup, according to a Reuters eyewitness. Stanford said he did not require medical attention.

It was Stanford's first court appearance since he suffered a mild concussion, broken nose and two black eyes in a prison brawl last month while detained at the Joe Corley Detention Facility in Conroe, Texas. There were no visual signs of Stanford's injuries.

Stanford has since been moved to a federal detention facility in downtown Houston, where he will await trial.

In their request for Hittner to set a trial date, U.S. prosecutors said defendants and their lawyers have now been provided access to court documents, more than 4 million pages, that they would need to help prepare for trial.

Still, Stanford's lawyer argued in a separate court filing that it is too early to set a trial date because there is much work to be done.

"Due to the voluminous amount of discovery and documents, the vast amount of witnesses that need to be located and interviewed, and the complexity of the case, counsel requests that the court not set a trial date at this time," Kent Schaffer, Stanford's attorney said in the filing.

Judge Hittner ordered public defenders to take the case on Sept. 15 after Stanford failed to come up with the funds to retain a team of defense attorneys.

The case is USA v. Stanford et al, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, No. 09-00342. (Reporting by Anna Driver; Writing by Chris Baltimore; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)