Former Tennessee teacher accused of kidnapping student asks for new trial date

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- (WZTV) -- Former Maury County teacher Tad Cummins is asking for his kidnapping trial to be pushed back until January 2018.

The motion to continue filed in the Middle District of Tennessee's Nashville court requests the motion due to the public defender's need to conduct additional research and investigation regarding the case.

Public defender Dumaka Shabazz states in the filing there are "ongoing plea discussions" and moving the current trial date of July 25th would be in the "best interests of the public and the defendant."

Shabazz states prosecutors for the government don't oppose the continuance and the motion should be granted to allow due diligence.

Cummins is accused of transporting a 15-year-old former student from Tennessee to California. The 50-year-old was on the run for 38 days before being captured in the rural California county of Siskiyou.

The nationwide manhunt for Cummins prompted an AMBER Alert in Tennessee, with Cummins being placed on the TBI's Top 10 Most Wanted list.

Cummins was denied bond after a federal judge deemed him to be a flight risk given the nature of his crimes and an alleged plan to take the girl from San Diego to Mexico via watercraft.