According to the reports, the trial of former Illinois police officer Drew Peterson on charges of killing his third wife was postponed on Wednesday after prosecutors filed an appeal.

The Arlington Heights (Ill.) Daily Herald has reported that the Will County judge presiding over the trial Tuesday refused a prosecution request to permit certain hearsay statements previously barred in the case against Peterson, who is accused of killing his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Jury selection in the trial was to have begun on Thursday.

The Chicago Tribune has reported that State's Attorney James Glasgow said in a statement Wednesday he filed the appeal because he was "obligated to … ensure that every legally admissible statement may be presented at trial." Glasgow said, "The people of the state of Illinois are entitled to a fair trial, and I intend to see that they get one."

Peterson's attorney, Joseph Lopez, said he will "be demanding the release of Drew Peterson" while the trial is delayed.

The (Joliet, Ill.) Herald-News reported on Wednesday that Joel Brodsky, the longest serving of Peterson's six attorneys, would not say whether Peterson, a former Bolingbrook, Ill., police officer, will testify at his trial. Peterson often spoke publicly when his fourth wife Stacy disappeared in 2007, but that stopped when he was jailed 14 months ago for the 2004 death of Savio. (With Inputs from Agencies)