Federal judge scolds City Council

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A federal judge is lashing out at the city of Austin over the way City Council members handled the Nathaniel Sanders wrongful death lawsuit.

Late Monday Judge Sam Sparks issued an order saying the federal court in Austin will no longer accept settlement announcements nor cancel trial settings within 25 days of any trial date.

This came after City Council last week rejected a $750,000 settlement with the Sanders family in the officer-involved shooting death of the teen in May 2009.

Sparks said federal judges "cannot rely on the City of Austin to support the recommendation of its lawyers..."

He also said, given the pre-trial publicity and public statements made by the attorneys involved, "It is not clear if the parties will ever be able to obtain a constitutionally fair trial in Austin."

Sparks re-set the trial for the next available date: November 2011.