MARTINEZ, Calif. — A sick defendant and a dismissed juror caused a delay in the Susan Polk murder trial Thursday.

"I'm very sick today, and I'm not making it up," Polk told the judge Thursday morning. "I have a very bad sore throat."

Polk is representing herself against charges that she murdered her therapist husband four years ago, and she asked for the day off to rest and have more time to review evidence — specifically, tapes of interviews conducted with her two sons, Gabriel and Adam, who are both witnesses for the prosecution.

Polk claims she stabbed her husband Felix Polk to death in self-defense in October 2002 after suffering years of emotional and physical abuse at his hands.

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She was to continue cross-examination of Gabriel, 19, Thursday, but she will now face her son again on Monday when the panel returns.

Gabriel accused his mother Wednesday of delusional behavior and claimed she openly discussed ways she was planning to murder his father. The prosecution expects to call Adam, 23, to the stand next.

Polk's third son, Eli, 20, has chosen his mother's side and will testify in her defense when she starts her case.

Jurors already had Friday off while the court attended to other matters.

They will now return on Monday, except for Juror No. 4, who was dismissed after he requested a private meeting with the judge Thursday morning.

"He had some personal issues he wanted to bring up with the court. He's a really honest, very forthcoming young man, but I can't comment on what happened," said Polk's case manager Valerie Harris, who was present in court during the meeting.

Assistant District Attorney Paul Sequeira also declined to comment on why the juror was let go. He had a "very reasonable 'for cause' issue," was all the prosecutor would say.

Juror No. 4 appeared to be in his early 20s and was a favorite pick for the defense, according to Polk's jury consultant, Karen Fleming-Ginn.

She described him as a quirky and quick-witted jurist who held down three jobs, lived at home with his mother, and probably wouldn't hesitate to hang the jury if he became the lone hold-out who didn't believe the prosecution proved its case.

"I don't know the reason for his excusal, but I was really bummed out about it," Fleming-Ginn told Courttv.com.

He was replaced by the first alternate, an older man who is married with no children and works in the grocery business. The jury constitution of six men and six women remains.

As for Polk's illness, case manager Harris confirmed that her client was not feeling well. She also told Courttv.com that the pill Polk was seen swallowing with water on Wednesday during her son's direct testimony was in fact over-the-counter Tylenol, for which she received written permission from the sheriff's department.

The trial is expected to last two and a half months, and while prosecutor Sequeira said he was disappointed about the delay, he also felt it was appropriate Polk was granted a sick day.

Sequeira has had bickering matches with Polk outside the presence of jurors to the point where he recently requested only to deal with her case manager.

"I'd really rather move ahead," Sequeira said. "I think I'm going to need a therapist when this case is over."