Connecticut Home Invasion: Judge in Petit Family Murder Hospitalized, Trial Postponed

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBS/WFSB/AP) The trial of Connecticut home invasion suspect Steven Hayes, the man accused of being the mastermind of the 2007 Cheshire invasion that left three members of the Petit family dead, has been postponed until Wednesday after the presiding judge was hospitalized, according to Yale New Haven hospitals officials.

Judge Jon Blue was hospitalized for an undisclosed ailment Monday morning and it is unclear when the 61-year-old judge will be discharged though his condition has been upgraded to good from fair, Yale-New Haven Hospital spokesman Mark D'Antonio told The Assoicated Press.

Hayes, along with Joshua Komisarjevsky, is accused of invading the Petit family's home during the early-morning hours of July 23, 2007, beating and binding Dr. William Petit and killing his wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, and their daughters, 17-year-old Hayley and 11-year-old Michaela, before setting the house ablaze to destroy evidence of their hideous crime, according to CBS affiliate WFSB. Prosecutors say both Hawke-Petit and Michaela were sexually assaulted.

Hayes' trial, which began last week, has taken an emotional toll on the community.

Dr. William Petit, the sole survivor, sobbed during Wednesday's testimony and several jurors broke down as photos of his daughters' bodies were shown during the trial. The photos included images of rope used to tie up the victims; ripped shorts and other belongings of Petit's daughters Hayley and Michaela; ransacked rooms; and melted containers that prosecutors said contained accelerants used by Hayes and Komisarjevsky in starting the fire.

Judge Blue decided to cut Wednesday's proceedings short after the he acknowledged it had been a difficult day. The judge told jurors at the end of the day that they had been through the worst testimony and that it was OK to hug one another.

On Tuesday, one juror was dismissed after telling the judge it was too difficult to listen to the testimony.

The session was curtailed Thursday when defense lawyer Thomas Ullmann said Hayes had "medical issues" and unspecified information related to security. Ullmann claimed his client, who prosecutors call a 47-year-old career criminal, suffered from seizure-like symptoms and urinated on himself Wednesday night.

Komisarjevsky is awaiting trial. If convicted, both men face the possibility of the death penalty.

Hayes' trial is set to resume Wednesday depending on the judge's condition.

Complete Coverage of the Petit Family Murders on Crimesider.