A man accused of fatally injuring his 4-month-old son was granted a trial delay Monday while his attorneys attempt to hash out a deal, court records show.

James Pierce, who was due for a Jan. 30 trial, will instead pursue mediation with prosecutors who are pursuing

James Pierce

first-degree murder charges against him.

Pierce said his son Jayden tumbled onto a carpeted floor, but an El Paso County deputy coroner testified in August the fall couldn’t explain the severity of the boy’s injuries. Jayden died April 15.

Pierce was re-scheduled for a June 4 trial if the negotiations are unsuccessful, court records show.

The Pierce case is part of a string of child homicides that authorities say pushed the city into record-breaking territory for slayings.

Of last year’s 32 homicides, seven involved child victims.

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