Tad Cummins, the former high school teacher accused of kidnapping a 15-year-old student across state lines, appeared in a federal court for a hearing to set his trial date.
According to WRCB TV, his trial, which was previously scheduled for January 2018, has been pushed back to April 17, 2018. The notorious Maury County teacher came to court with some of his family members on Monday.
Cummins' lawyer, Brent Horst, is said to be concerned about all the media attention on the case. He reportedly notified Judge Aleta Trauger that he will write a motion concerning the issue. Horst did not specify what motion it would be exactly but clarified that it will not be a change in venue. He has until Dec. 4 to file a pre-motion trial, while federal prosecutors will have two weeks to respond.
The 51-year-old former Culleoka Unit School teacher has been in federal custody since April for aggravated kidnapping, among other crimes.
Cummins and 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas captured public attention when the two disappeared in March. Back then, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) squashed any idea that the teacher-student duo was in a relationship.
"This is not a fairytale. It's a case of kidnapping. She is 15; a child. He is 50; a grown man... This is not a romance," TBI Director Mark Gwyn told reporters.
The pair was found 38 days later when they were spotted in a secluded cabin in California.
In September, Thomas talked to the media about the incident for the first time.
"I don't regret it, nor do I say it was the right thing to do. It was an experience I'll have to live with the rest of my life. It's good and bad. It's there. No matter what we do, we'll have to deal with it," she told the Columbia Daily Herald.
Thomas refused to talk about the case, as a juvenile court has placed a gag order on all parties involved, but a short transcript of the interview showed that she is recovering well.
"I'm pretty happy that I'm back with my brother... I can't really complain right now," she said.
