A judge has set an Aug. 13 trial date for a retired Alabama schoolteacher accused of molesting students.

St. Clair County Circuit Judge James E. Hill has been reassigned to preside over the trial of retired Alabaster teacher Danny M. Acker Jr. who faces eight counts of sexual abuse.

The Birmingham News reports that Hill wrote in an order filed Monday that he had gotten written notice that Acker has waived his arraignment, which was scheduled for April 2, and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

A Shelby County grand jury indicted Acker earlier this month on two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and six counts of sexual abuse of a child under 12.

Hill took the cases because all Shelby County judges recused themselves, citing their relationship to Acker's father, Shelby County Commissioner Dan Acker.

The case is also being handled by an outside prosecutor.