Judge sets June trial date in Sonics lease dispute

Published 2:17 pm Tuesday, January 29, 2008

SEATTLE — A judge on Tuesday scheduled the Seattle SuperSonics’ bid to break their lease with the city to go to trial in June.

Judge Marsha Pechman’s decision to set the trial for June 16 effectively split the timeline between the Sonics’ request for a March trial and the city’s request for the matter to be resolved in October.

SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett has asked the NBA for permission to relocate the team to his hometown of Oklahoma City, and the team wants to expedite the process so the move could take place prior to next season.

The city of Seattle requested an October trial date to perform extra depositions, but waiting that late would have jeopardized the team’s ability to move during the offseason.