The sentence hearing of one of the defendants involved in the April 2007 death of Luis Noriega has been moved to Dec. 23.

Emily Hobbs, who pleaded guilty in September to aggravated battery, was scheduled to be sentenced this Friday.

“One of the witnesses we were going to call is out of town this week, so we wanted to change it to a date when our key witness is available,” said Joseph Cullen, DeKalb County first assistant state’s attorney. “That was the first date that really we could work it in with the court’s calendar.”

Cullen said the use of witnesses is important in cases like this.

“You can call witnesses so the judge knows what happened leading up to this conviction,” he said. “They would testify about the facts and circumstances of the case.”

Hobbs could possibly face up to five years in jail.

“Sentencing range [for Hobbs] would be from anything from no jail time to five years maximum sentence,” Cullen said.

Two of the four defendants have already been sentenced.

Christopher Tadder was sentenced April 17 for 88 days in DeKalb County Jail, 30 months probation and 100 hours of community service and anger management counseling. Fred J. Jakob was sentenced June 16 for 90 days in DeKalb County Jail, 30 months probation and 100 hours of community service and anger management counseling.

Nathan Schrank pleaded guilty on Friday to involuntary manslaughter and one count of aggravated battery. His sentencing trial is set for Jan. 23.