LOS ANGELES, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- The judge overseeing the Los Angeles Dodgers' bankruptcy court case Wednesday postponed a key hearing until next month, delaying a possible trial.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross made the ruling before an evidentiary hearing with attorneys regarding a trial that was set to begin next week, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The newspaper cited "multiple people familiar with the case" as saying the delay, until Nov. 29, is meant to give Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig a chance to reach a pretrial settlement.
A court-appointed mediator in the case, retired U.S. District Judge Joseph Farnan, has been involved in seven weeks of settlement talks between the two sides but has yet to file a report, indicating mediation still may be under way, the Times said.
Selig and Fox Sports oppose McCourt's attempts to sell the Dodgers' television rights, which he contends he needs to do if he is to emerge from bankruptcy as the team's owner.
MLB accuses McCourt of "looting" $189 million from the team to fund a "lavish lifestyle."
