OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A judge says Omaha police report delays cited by a defense lawyer aren’t sufficient reason to dismiss murder charges against the lawyer’s client.

Judge Horacio Wheelock said Wednesday that there’s no indication that a “sinister motive” was behind police actions in the case against Marcus Short. Short and Preston Pope have been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the August 2015 slayings of 23-year-old Deprecia Neelon and 19-year-old Garion Johnson.

Short’s attorney sought the dismissal, saying the delays made it “virtually impossible to present a defense.” Short’s trial is scheduled to begin Monday.

A police spokeswoman says Chief Todd Schmaderer has made several changes since learning of the delays, changes intended to improve the homicide unit’s performance on the issues raised.