MAYVILLE – The trial involving a man accused of stabbing an international author multiple times has been postponed.

Wednesday morning, Chautauqua County Judge David Foley officially delayed the trial of Hadi Matar, who is accused of stabbing and attempting to kill Salmon Rushdie during an appearance at Chautauqua Institution.

Jury selection was scheduled to begin Monday, however Public Defender Nathaniel Barone requested that the trial be delayed because they want to review Rushdie’s upcoming memoir “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,” which is scheduled to be published April 16.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt had already requested a copy of the book, as well as any notes to be provided to the defense team, however his request was unsuccessful.

Foley said a subpoena will be issued. He doesn’t know if it will be successful in gaining all the materials. The publisher has apparently stated that intellectual property law permits them to not provide the book nor any materials to the court. That is likely to be litigated once the subpoena is filed.

Matar was arrested on Aug. 12, 2022, the day of the attack.

During his court appearance Wednesday, Matar asked through his attorney how soon the trial could take place.

Foley said he was thinking about delaying it until May because if the subpoena is unsuccessful, the defense could at least purchase the book.

“I don’t want the adjournment. I want to move forward,” Matar said to the judge. After that statement, Matar went behind closed doors and spoke with members of his defense team.

After a short recess, Barone stated his client was willing to wait for the materials regarding the book.

Foley asked Matar if he was, in fact, willing to waive his right to a speedy trial, to which Matar said he was.

Foley said it’s possible they may have the trial sooner than May; it depends on the results of the subpoena.

Barone thanked the court for pursuing the material. “In order to effectively represent Mr. Matar, I need the opportunity to at least take my shot at getting that information and reviewing it, so we can adequately be prepared,” he said.

After the decision, Schmidt said he was disappointed the trial will be delayed. He said he spent much of the holiday break preparing for the trial. He noted there are many other cases that his office is working on and had they known earlier, he would have shifted his focus on the other cases, including upcoming murder trials. He called it a “tremendous waste of county resources,” but insists it will not change the outcome.

In a separate interview, Barone balked at Schmidt’s comments. “Regardless of what the district attorney wants, regardless of what Mr. Rushdie wants, I don’t care. Pursuant to the New York state criminal procedure law, we’re entitled to this information and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure I’ve got it in my possession before we actually start picking a jury,” he said.

Barone said he will likely request a change in venue from the court as well, expressing concerns about the ability to find an impartial jury in Chautauqua County.

The Associated Press stated in early October that Rushdie was writing the memoir. The article was published in both The Post-Journal and OBSERVER newspapers.

Barone said his office was not notified about the memoir until weeks later. “We were never notified about this publication until November – early November. We moved on it as quickly as we could,” he said.

In regard to Matar originally stating in court that he initially didn’t want to wait, Barone said his client is getting antsy. “I think it’s not unnatural for anyone who has been sitting there for over a year now. It’s been almost a year and a half. He is becoming anxious. I think that he wants to move on like everyone else. At the same time that’s one of the things you have to explain to your client is there’s information that we need,” he said.

While the subpoena process is underway, Matar, 26, of New Jersey, will remain in custody at the Chautauqua County Jail. He has been charged with second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault.

Rushdie, 76, is the author of several books, including “The Satanic Verses,” which was published in 1988. “The Satanic Verses” has been banned in Iran since it was published in 1988, as many Muslims consider it to be blasphemous. A year after it was banned, Iran’s late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death.

A bounty of over $3 million had also been offered for anyone who kills Rushdie.

After the attack, Rushdie went on a ventilator and eventually lost the use of his left eye.

The author is expected to testify in the trial once it does begin.