Federal prosecutors have been granted additional time to decide whether they should appeal an order throwing out the conviction of a former BP engineer in the 2010 Gulf oil spill.
U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval granted the prosecutors' motion Thursday
Duval ruled last week that Kurt Mix was entitled to a new trial on an obstruction-of-justice charge because of juror misconduct in his 2013 trial.
Prosecutors had said that deciding whether to appeal will take time and require involvement of top Justice Department officials. They asked for an exclusion from the federal Speedy Trial Act. It calls for a trial within 70 days of a new one being ordered.
Duval didn't specify how much additional time he's authorized.
Mix's attorneys did not object to the prosecutors' request.
