The manslaughter trial of New Jersey Storm owner Jayson Williams will begin on 18 February 2003, lawyers and the trial judge decided today.

Williams, 34, is accused of accidentally shooting to death limousine driver Costas Christofi on 14 February, and of tampering with witnesses and evidence to suggest that the wounds were self-inflicted.

In all, the former NBA star faces charges of reckless manslaughter, evidence tampering, witness tampering, hindering apprehension and conspiracy to obstruct the law.

In June, Williams pled innocent to the charges, which could total forty-five years in prison if he is convicted.

"Everybody wants to get the case tried and resolved. The defense wants it done, the state wants it done and the court is accommodating us on that," acting Hunterdon County prosecutor Steven Lember said.

Lember alleges that Williams was leading several guests on a tour of his Alexandria Township, NJ, home when a 12-gauge shotgun he was twirling in his hand discharged by accident, fatally wounding Christofi in the chest.

After the shooting, the prosecutor claims, Williams and two accomplices disposed of his bloody clothes, put the gun in Christofi's hand, and encouraged the guests to suggest to investigators that the death was a suicide.

Williams is the lone remaining defendant, though, after John Gordnick reached a plea agreement with prosecutors last month. Gordnick avoided trial on evidence and witness tampering charges by agreeing to testify during the February trial that he disposed of Williams' clothes.

A third defendant, Kent Culuko, made a similar plea in April, admitting that he wiped Williams' fingerprints off the shotgun which killed Christofi and that he instructed others in the house to mislead police. He, too, will testify against Williams.

Williams attended the hearing with his wife Tanya, and did not speak during or after the proceedings.

The hearing was held before Judge Edward Coleman, who likely will serve as trial judge, as well.