This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Provo • A five-day trial for the alleged "BYU groper" was set during a brief court hearing on Monday.

Nathan Fletcher, 23, has pleaded not guilty in 4th District Court to two counts of class A misdemeanor sexual battery.

His trial will begin on March 31.

Meanwhile, his defense team is trying to keep the testimony of at least 10 people — all associated with the Brigham Young University track team — from being heard at the trial.

Several weeks after a woman reported that a jogger grabbed her breast, a detective met with BYU's track and field coach to try to identify the assailant from a video recording, according to the defense team motion filed in early December.

"From certain video recordings located by [the] detective, he believed that the assailant may be involved with the BYU track and field team," defense attorneys wrote, adding that it was suggested that the detective show the video to the entire track team.

Later that day, the detective did show the video to the entire track team — about 100 people — during at a team meeting.

Several of the team members told the detective that they recognized the jogger's gait and build, and told him it was likely Fletcher.

But defense attorneys argued in court papers that these identifications should not be allowed at trial because the track members talked amongst themselves, shared opinions with one another and stated specific names to each other.

"Several witnesses testified their identification only came after the name 'Nathan Fletcher' was mentioned to them," the attorneys wrote.

Provo City prosecutors have not yet filed a response brief. Fletcher is expected to be in court again on Jan. 27 for oral arguments on the motion to suppress.

At a preliminary hearing, a number of Fletcher's teammates testified that they each identified Fletcher independently as they saw the gait of a jogger filmed in BYU's Smith Fieldhouse on March 15, close to the time that a victim said a jogger grabbed her breast.

Sixteen women have reported similar attacked on or near campus earlier this year, but Fletcher is only facing charges in two of the alleged attacks.

Twitter: @jm_miller