Opinion
JAMES R. GREINER, ESQ., LAW OFFICES OF JAMES R. GREINER, FOLSOM, CALIFORNIA, ATTORNEY FOR DEFENDANT VALERIY NIKITCHUK.
BENJAMIN B. WAGNER, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Michele M. Beckwith, ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF.
Kresta N. Dally, Attorney for Defendant 1- Aleksandr Kuzmenko.
Michael L. Chastaine, Attorney for Defendant 2- Petr Kuzmenko.
Steve B. Plesser, Attorney for Defendant 3- Arsen Muhtarov.
STIPULATION BETWEEN THE PARTIES TO CONTINUE THE STATUS CONFERENCE TO THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 WITH EXCLUSION OF TIME FROM THE SPEEDY TRIAL ACT AND ORDER
MORRISON C. ENGLAND, Jr., Chief District Judge.
The parties to this litigation, the United States of America, represented by Assistant United States Attorney, Michele M. Beckwith, and for the defendants: 1- Kresta N. Dally representing Aleksandr Kuzmenko.; 2- Michael L. Chastaine representing Petr Kuzmenko.; 3- Steven B. Plesser representing Arsen Muhtarov; and 4- James R. Greiner representing Valeriy Nikitchuk hereby agree and stipulate to the following:
The government requested that the format presented in this stipulation be used by the parties.
1- By previous order, this matter was set for status on Thursday, September 24, 2015, see docket number 70.
2. By this Stipulation, the defendants collectively now move to continue the status conference until Thursday, February 25, 2016 and to exclude time pursuant to the Speedy Trial Act between Thursday, September 24, 2015 and Thursday, February 25, 2016, under Local Codes T-2 (complexity due to the amount of discovery, number of defendants and potential legal issues) and T-4 (time for adequate attorney preparation), and for continuity of counsel. The government, to date, has produced discovery of more than approximately 15, 300 pages in this case.
3. The parties agree and stipulate to the following and request the Court to find the following:
a. The government has produced initial discovery to date which consists of approximately over 15, 300 pages.
b. Counsel for all defendants need additional time to continue to review all the discovery with their respective clients, to continue investigation into this case, continue to do research, which includes legal research, in this case, and to otherwise continue to do review and investigation, using due diligence, that this complex case requires.
d. Counsel for all defendants represents that the failure to grant the above requested continuance would deny counsel for each individual defendant the reasonable time necessary for effective preparation, taking into account the exercise of due diligence.
e. Petr Kuzmenko's attorney, Mr. Chastaine, has completed his trial in this district that began on June 22, 2015, (CR-S-11-450-TLN), and is now awaiting sentencing.
f. All defense counsel need additional time to review the over approximately 15, 300 pages of discovery with their respective clients, and to do investigation regarding that discovery and leads from their respective clients, with some defendants having investigation in various states outside of the State of California.
g. The government, based on all of the above, does not object to the continuance.
h. To ensure continuity of counsel, and to allow sufficient time for discussions by and with and between the government and all defendants about the case and to explore any potential for possible resolution, in the exercise of reasonable diligence the continuance of the status conference is reasonable.
i. Based on the above stated findings, the ends of justice served by continuing the case as requested outweigh the interest of the public and all the defendants in a trial within the original date prescribed by the Speedy Trial Act.
h. For the purpose of computing the time under the Speedy Trial Act, Title 18 U.S.C. section 3161, et seq., within which trial must commence, the time period from Thursday, September 24, 2015 to Thursday, February 25, 2016, inclusive, is deemed excludable pursuant to Title 18 U.S.C. section 3161(h)(7)(B)(ii) which corresponds to Local Code T-2 and Title 18 U.S.C. section 3161(h)(7)(B)(iv) corresponding to Local Code T-4, because it results from a continuance granted by the Court at defendants' request on the basis of the Court's finding that both, the case is complex due to the amount of discovery and number of defendants and potential legal issues in the case and that the ends of justice served by taking such action outweigh the best interest of the public and all of the defendants in a speedy trial.
4. Nothing in this stipulation and order shall preclude a finding that other provisions of the Speedy Trial Act dictate that additional time periods are excludable from the period within which a trial must commence.
IT IS SO STIPULATED.
Each attorney has granted James R. Greiner full authority to sign for each individual attorney.
IT IS SO ORDERED.