New lawyer for man accused of murder postponed

Efforts to appoint a new lawyer for Juan Manuel Alvarez, accused of

11 counts of murder in connection with the January Metrolink train

derailment, were postponed Wednesday until Sept. 27, according to a

Los Angeles court clerk.

Prosecutors announced Friday that they would seek the death

penalty against the 25-year-old construction worker from Compton, who

is also charged with arson. Alvarez allegedly parked his 1993 Jeep

Cherokee on the train tracks near Chevy Chase Drive and doused it

with gasoline, causing the three-train wreck Jan. 26 that killed 11

people and injured nearly 200 others.

Because of the Los Angeles District Atty.'s decision to seek the

death penalty, Alvarez will need a new lawyer. His former lawyer,

Eric A. Chase, does not have the resources to take on a death penalty

case, the court clerk said.