Opinion
CRIMINAL ACTION NO. 2:18-CR-839
10-15-2018
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. MELQUIADES SANCHEZ-ALGERIA; aka JOSE GONZALES PENALTA; aka JOSE GONZALES-PERALTA
OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR CONTINUANCE
On October 12, 2018, Defendant moved for a continuance of the final pretrial conference and jury selection and trial because the Defendant and counsel had not yet had adequate time to review and consider potential legal defenses (D.E. 15). The United States Attorney was unopposed to the motion.
Under the Speedy Trial Act, a district court may grant a continuance and exclude the resulting delay from the time in which a trial must commence if it makes on-the-record findings that the ends of justice served by granting the continuance outweigh the public's and defendant's interests in a speedy trial. 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7).
Having considered the Defendant's motion, the Court finds that the failure to grant a continuance in this case would deny counsel for the defendant the reasonable time necessary for effective preparation, taking into account the exercise of due diligence.
Accordingly, the Court finds that the ends of justice are served by granting a continuance in this case and outweigh the best interests of the public and Defendant in a speedy trial, and the period of the continuance is excluded from speedy trial computation.
The Court GRANTS the Defendant's oral motion and CONTINUES the final pretrial conference until November 27, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. before undersigned and schedules the jury selection and trial for December 10, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. before Hon. Nelva Gonzales Ramos.
ORDERED this 15th day of October, 2018.
/s/_________
B. JANICE ELLINGTON
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE