Published on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
By RICHARD K. DE ATLEY
Nine criminal cases were dismissed Monday and Tuesday in Riverside County Superior Court because no judges were available to hear them, bringing to 25 the number of cases tossed for that reason since the beginning of the month.
The number of speedy-trial dismissals tops the previous high, 22, recorded in July.
Since January 2007, 74 such cases have been kicked out, and the district attorney's office has chosen to refile charges in virtually all the felony cases. Dismissed misdemeanor cases cannot be refiled unless the dismissals are successfully appealed.
Because the U.S. Constitution guarantees defendants speedy trials, criminal cases ready for trial must be heard within a certain number of days or be dismissed. The deadline differs for felonies and misdemeanors.
Riverside County has long suffered from a shortage of judges, and according to current estimates, the county needs 57 more judicial officers than its present complement of 76 judges and commissioners
Read Full Article...
Comment/Review this Podcast:
Give us your feedback
Press-Enterprise is interested in hearing what you think about our Podcasts.
You can give us your feedback by filling out our Audience Survey.
