The trial of a 28-year-old Blacksburg man charged in a drive-by shooting death was postponed until August just before jury selection was about to start Tuesday in Cherokee County General Sessions Court.

Travis Sentell Parker, of Boland Road, is accused of murder in the shooting death of Gaffney resident Maraine Charles Edward Foote during a drive-by shooting on Sarratt Avenue in June 2007. Assistant Seventh Circuit Solicitor Michael Morin has served notice he will seek a sentence of life imprisonment without parole if Parker is convicted.

The trial was delayed because of confusion over Parker's representation.

Parker is represented by the Cherokee County Public Defender's Office, specifically attorney Tom Shealy, but Parker's family has been trying to obtain a private attorney to represent him. It was noted in court Tuesday morning that several documents of possible importance to Parker's defense were forwarded to a private attorney, but were not made known to Shealy until Tuesday.

Shealy requested postponement of the case until Parker's representation, and the documents, could be sorted out.

Circuit Judge James Lockemy granted the request, but offered Parker some warnings.

"Mr. Parker, your lawyer is Mr. Shealy as of today," the judge said. "No ifs, no ands, no buts."

Judge Lockemy gave Parker 30 days in which to secure another lawyer and for a new lawyer to file an official record of representation.

Regardless of who represents him, Parker was told his trial was being rescheduled for the week of Aug. 11 and that he had to be ready.

After granting the delay, Judge Lockemy was asked to consider setting a bond for Parker so he can be released from jail pending trial. Parker has been held without bond since August 2007, when another judge said a bond could be considered if Parker was able to establish a viable alibi defense against the murder charge.

In opposing bond, Morin noted in court Parker had previously been convicted of voluntary manslaughter, serving roughly eight years of a 10- year prison sentence for that crime.

Shealy said Parker has consistently denied being the shooter in the June 2007 incident and added that Parker voluntarily surrendered to police when he learned they were looking for him.

Judge Lockemy decided to maintain Parker's incarceration without bond for the next 75 days. Another circuit judge can reconsider the request for bond if an alibi defense can be established, the judge ruled.