Legal proceedings against Associated Students President Cervin Morris have been deferred until Feb. 25 to give his defense more time for preparation.

Attorneys met Friday at Santa Barbara County Superior Court to set a date for the preliminary hearing. Senior Deputy District Attorney Hilary Dozer said Morris’ attorney, Adam Pearlman, asked for more time to work on the case. Dozer said he had no objections to the defense’s request.

“It’s not unusual for cases to be continued from time to time before the preliminary hearing,” Dozer said.

Morris, a third-year English major, was arrested on Nov. 12 for allegedly hitting a man on the head with a glass bottle and punching another man in the face. The DA filed two charges against Morris following his arrest — one count of felony assault with a deadly weapon resulting in bodily injury and one count of misdemeanor battery. At his Jan. 4 arraignment, Morris pled not guilty on all counts.

Although the two men Morris allegedly hit chose not to pursue charges, Dozer said the DA’s office is responsible for filing charges against a person, but it can take victims’ statements into consideration.

“We have sufficient facts that show that a felony assault occurred,” he said.

For Morris, who is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago but not a U.S. citizen, Dozer said the consequences of a felony assault conviction could be far-reaching.

“A felony offense has collateral consequences in a person’s future…” Dozer said. “A conviction of this kind of felony, I believe, [results in] an automatic deportation.”