The trial for a Richland nanny accused in the June death of a 1-year-old boy has been postponed a month.

Kelli Anne Jacobsen's lawyer told a judge Wednesday that he wanted to get the March 19 date on the calendar, but made it clear it won't happen then.

Scott Johnson said he is in the process of hiring two people for the "expert-intensive" and "very technical" case, and they should be on board by the end of February.

The Benton County Superior Court trial was to start Feb. 21.

Johnson added that a more realistic date is going to be in late spring or early summer, and he should be able to firm that up at the next court hearing.

"There is zero percent chance we will be ready on March 19. I don't want to get anybody's expectations up," Johnson repeated to the court, adding that he and co-counsel Adrienne Farabee have to do a lot of preparation.

Prosecutor Andy Miller said he had no objection to the delay.

The courtroom was packed Wednesday with about two dozen people.

Jacobsen, 27, is charged with first-degree manslaughter with aggravating circumstances, including that the victim was particularly vulnerable and incapable of resistance, and that his death had a destructive and foreseeable impact on others.

She is accused of causing a fatal head injury to Ryder Morrison on June 22 while she was watching the boy at his Richland home.

Ryder's mother, Tawney Johnson, had gone home for lunch and was back at work by noon.

Then at 12:14 p.m., Jacobsen called 911 and told authorities Ryder fell when she was in the kitchen getting him a snack, according to court documents. She said she ran to the living room and found Ryder on his back.

However, emergency room doctors at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland said Ryder's injuries were not consistent with the nanny's story, documents said.

Ryder died in surgery the day after his first birthday.

Jacobsen is out of custody on her own recognizance pending trial.

Man pleads innocent to biting off part of man's ear in fight at bar

A 23-year-old man pleaded innocent to allegations that he bit off part of a man's ear during a fight outside a downtown Kennewick bar.

Erik Pelayo-Vera faces an April 9 trial for second-degree assault.

During the Jan. 8 incident, Pelayo-Vera allegedly tore off part of Logan Booth's ear.

Booth, 21, of Kennewick, said he walked out of the bar with another friend who got hit by an unknown man. He claims that Pelayo-Vera then hit him, pulled him to the ground and bit his ear, court documents said.

Booth and witnesses at the scene identified Pelayo-Vera as the assailant, documents said.

His wife, Tonya Pelayo, previously told the Herald that her husband's friend was hit, and he was trying to pull people off to stop the fight. She said her husband didn't assault anybody.

Pelayo-Vera has hired Jim Egan of Kennewick as his lawyer. Egan asked the court Wednesday to modify the conditions of his release and allow his client to travel with his family to Nevada this weekend for a planned event.

Judge Bruce Spanner approved the request, but made Pelayo-Vera sign an extradition waiver, agreeing to be returned to Washington if he should get in trouble or try to run away while out of state.