Presiding Judge Announces Another 2-Week Deadline Extension in Criminal Cases
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The presiding judge of the Los Angeles County court system announced Thursday another extension of deadlines in criminal trials and hearings.
In a statement, Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor said the court is continuing its "cautious restoration of court operations to pre-pandemic levels."
"We continue to use this relief extremely sparingly as a failsafe amidst competing requests from stakeholders and justice partners to contract and expand services," Taylor said.
The new extensions allow for:
- the time within which a criminal trial must be held to be extended by up to 30 days in cases in which the statutory deadline would otherwise fall between Aug. 14 and Sept. 11;
- the time for a preliminary hearing following arraignment to be extended from 10 court days to no more than 30 court days;
- pretrial hearings in misdemeanor cases set between Aug. 14 and Sept. 11 for out-of-custody defendants to be extended by 90 calendar days unless statutorily required to be held sooner and the defendant does not consent to a continuance.
- the extension of time periods within which a minor taken into custody pending juvenile dependency proceedings must be given a detention hearing to no more than seven days, applicable only to minors for whom the statutory deadline would otherwise expire between Aug. 14 and Sept. 11.
All people are required to wear face coverings while in a Los Angeles County courthouse regardless of vaccination status.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
