The U. S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denied today a bid by State Department special agent Christopher Deedy to transfer his murder case to federal court.

Deedy, 29, appealed a ruling by a federal judge who denied him permission to file for the transfer after the deadline for such motions.

The ruling was issued on the first day of Deedy’s trial in state courts on a charge of murdering Kollin Elderts of Kailua the early morning of Nov. 5, 2011.

The appeals court ruling removes a lingering cloud over whether the case can proceed in state Circuit Court.