The district court rescheduled a trial for Bryan Purdie, who is accused of setting fire to his downtown store to defraud an insurance company in 2000, to April.

Originally, the trial was set for Oct. 7. But prosecutor David Walker objected to a last-minute ruling on the scope of testimony and trial procedure, and the trial was postponed.

Judge John Chesterman revised the ruling in favor of the prosecution. The parties will discuss the issue further in a hearing on Dec. 20.

The trial is scheduled to last 15 days. The total number of witnesses on the list is close to 50. If not disallowed by the judge after the hearing, the jury will visit the fire scene at Woodgrains Furnitrure on South Broadway at the beginning of the trial.

The alleged arson occurred in December 2000. Purdie has waived his right to a speedy trial.