John Edwards trial delayed until January

John Edwards will have more time to work on his defense against charges he broke the law trying to hide an affair with a former campaign aide.

A North Carolina judge Thursday granted a motion from Edwards' attorneys requesting a continuance in the case. The trial, which had been set to begin next month, will now start in January.

The move comes just days after Edwards requested that all charges against him be dismissed. The former Democratic presidential hopeful was indicted in June on six felony criminal charges, including conspiracy, four counts of accepting illegal campaign contributions and one charge of making a false statement related to roughly $925,000 he accepted from political benefactors during his 2008 campaign.

Edwards used the money to hide his affair with Rielle Hunter, a former campaign videographer who later gave birth to his child. Federal prosecutors say the cash should count as a donation to Edwards' 2008 campaign, since it helped to protect his image during his second White House bid.

But Edwards has insisted the money should be considered a personal gift because it was aimed at concealing his affair from his wife and family. He has repeatedly insisted he didn't break the law and has called the government's case against him constitutionally "vague."