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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The suspect in a Pittston homicide had his trial pushed back to September after prosecutors requested more time.</p><p>Stephen Jamal Spencer, 31, was set to stand trial this week for the July 2017 shooting death of 32-year-old Christopher Williams outside the Saints &amp; Sinners Irish Pub in Pittston.</p><p>Spencer&#8217;s trial was going to start Monday, but jury selection was pushed to Tuesday while attorneys argued over a late addition of an expert witness for the defense team.</p><p>The witness would be testifying that Spencer used reasonable force when shooting Williams after an altercation at the bar.</p><p>Prosecutor Thomas Hogans argued the testimony would amount to testifying about Spencer&#8217;s guilt or innocence, while defense attorney Jonathan Pike said the expert&#8217;s opinion would be on the use of force only.</p><p>Luzerne County President Judge Richard M. Hughes III ruled he could not determine the validity of the witness&#8217; testimony without the witness being there to testify, Pike told a reporter after court was adjourned Tuesday.</p><p>On Monday evening, prosecutors alerted Hughes of their intention to make a motion for continuance, saying they need more time to prepare for Pike&#8217;s expert witness. Pike gave prosecutors a file summarizing what the expert would be testifying about on Monday morning.</p><p>On Tuesday, the defense attorney offered no objections to the prosecution&#8217;s motion for a delay. Hughes rescheduled Spencer&#8217;s trial date for the week of Sept. 10.</p><p>According to prosecutors, Spencer shot and killed Williams after an altercation at the bar that reportedly started when Williams&#8217; cousin, Marty Williams, refused to shake Spencer&#8217;s hand.</p><p>Previous testimony pointed to racial tension in the bar that night, with Marty Williams testifying he does not &#8220;socialize with anybody not my race.&#8221;</p><p>Pike maintains Spencer acted in self-defense, saying he was cooperative with officers and that he had a permit to carry the firearm.</p><p>Spencer, of Pittston, remains locked up at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility while he awaits his new trial date.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Stephen Jamal Spencer, of Pittston, leaves district court after his preliminary hearing on a homicide charge last summer. Spencer&#8217;s trial, initially set to start this week, has been delayed to September. He is accused of fatally shooting Christopher Williams, 32, of Pittston. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_web1_TTL071917Spencer-3-5.jpg</photo0><caption0>Stephen Jamal Spencer, of Pittston, leaves district court after his preliminary hearing on a homicide charge last summer. Spencer&#8217;s trial, initially set to start this week, has been delayed to September. He is accused of fatally shooting Christopher Williams, 32, of Pittston. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Trial date postponed to September in Pittston homicide