Pretrial for Tijaunte Anderson

HOUGHTON– The case against a former Finlandia student charged with assault is off to a slow start.

Tijaunte Anderson, 20, says he’s in the process of hiring an attorney.

The suspect was allegedly involved in a fight with another Finlandia student that preceded the suspension of several other students from the university last month.

Anderson is charged with aggravated assault, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The suspect appeared in 97th District Court Friday for a pretrial hearing but said he needs more time to hire his lawyer, David Gemignani, who is often appointed to serve as the public defender.

The judge gave his permission for Anderson to return to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and to appear by phone when his case returns to court for another pretrial in four weeks.