Federal prosecutors are tiring of delays that have kept convicted Spokane police Officer Karl F. Thompson Jr. out of prison.

Eight months have passed since a jury convicted Thompson of using excessive force and lying to investigators in the 2006 fatal confrontation with Otto Zehm, an unarmed janitor erroneously implicated in a possible theft.

But court-ordered delays have postponed sentencing indefinitely as Thompson seeks a new trial. He has remained free in that time.

New court documents filed by the U.S. attorney's office opposing Thompson's latest request for another delay raise questions about how long convicted felons should be allowed to remain out of prison while preparing legal appeals.

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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com