Barry Odegaard, who remains free on bond, was given a trial date by U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang of Nov. 6.

Odegaard was charged in a new indictment last week of prescribing the painkiller Oxycodone to James Ledgerwood Jr., who died in May 2003 three days after he got the prescription. He also is charged with prescribing methadone to Frank Dan, who died the day after he got the prescription in July 2004.

Each charge carries a prison term of 20 years to life in prison.

The federal criminal charges are believed to be the first filed here accusing a doctor of prescribing drugs that resulted in deaths.

Odegaard had been indicted last year on charges of illegally prescribing drugs to others and Medicaid fraud and was scheduled to go on trial this week.