Civil trial over reputed Edwards sex tape delayed

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (AP) — A judge has delayed the civil trial involving a purported sex tape featuring former presidential candidate John Edwards until 2012.

Orange County, N.C., Superior Court Judge Carl Fox said Friday there is no way the civil trial could be held at the same time as a pending criminal case against Edwards.

Both were previously scheduled to start in October. Fox rescheduled the trial of the lawsuit for March 26.

Edwards’ former mistress Rielle Hunter is suing his former aide Andrew Young for the return of personal property including what’s reputed to be a sex tape featuring Edwards.

Federal prosecutors are also pursuing charges that Edwards accepted illegal campaign contributions to hide his affair with Hunter during his unsuccessful 2008 presidential bid. The cases are separate but feature an overlapping cast of characters.