Law Practice,
Criminal
Apr. 27, 2018
Criminal continuances: Court culture creates calendar congestion
Delay affects each person who is subject to serial continuances awaiting disposition. It is tragic. It is costly to parties, the courts, victims, witnesses, court justice partners, and the public fisc.
All courts have congested calendars. When counsel serially continue matters, a defendant's supportive family members begin to disappear from the courtroom -- no doubt born from the experience that "it is just going to get continued again."
A criminal defendant held hostage by counsel's repeated continuances has his or her life on hold: "Do I marry?" "Can I enroll or finish school?" "Should I have a child?" "Can I take a new j...
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