[JURIST] The US Senate Judiciary Committee [official website] Monday postponed [official notice] until Thursday the scheduled Tuesday testimony of US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales [official profile; JURIST news archive] regarding his role in the firings of eight US Attorneys [JURIST news archive] in the wake of Monday's Virginia Polytechnic Institute shootings [New York Times report] that left 33 people dead and wounded at least 15 others. Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) [official website] and senior Republican member Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) [official website] issued a joint statement [text] moving the hearing. Leahy said Gonzales was included in discussions of the postponement, and that the decision was made out of respect for the victims and to allow Gonzales to focus his attention on the unfolding events.

Earlier this month Leahy rejected attempts [JURIST report] by the Bush administration to move up the date of Gonzales' testimony because Gonzales himself chose the April 17 date. A Department of Justice [official website] spokeswoman said Monday that Gonzales is anxious to testify. AP has more.