A judge agreed Thursday to postpone the trial for a former Community Living Opportunities employee charged with abusing a mentally challenged client.

The attorney for Eric S. Wyatt, 35, asked District Court Judge Michael Malone for more time to look into similar incidents that are reported but don’t result in criminal charges. He argued Thursday that prosecutors are unfairly targeting Wyatt.

“What makes this case different? That question goes unanswered,” attorney Michael Clarke said. Clarke said he made the request after reading a Journal-World article about a recently filed lawsuit against Community Living Opportunities involving alleged abuse and neglect of clients who are not involved in Wyatt’s case.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Rex Beasley opposed the requested delay.

“I think this is merely a fishing expedition,” he said.

Malone scheduled a new hearing for May 4. A co-defendant, Dustin D. Taylor, 21, is scheduled for a pretrial hearing April 20.

Both are charged with physically mistreating a 57-year-old man at Ponderosa House, a licensed intermediate care home operated by CLO in the 1200 block of East 26th Street.