Lolita 
By Hannah Adams and Tashayia George
MODESTO, CA — Assistant Public Defender Rachel Payments motioned for a continuance this week in Stanislaus Superior Court docket after receiving extra discovery about her shopper’s case.
The choose within the case determined, apparently, that the court docket’s calendar takes precedent over the readiness of protection counsel in getting ready a strong protection for an accused.
Anthony James Buggs was charged with a home felony offense in November of final yr. Payments requested that her shopper’s case be prolonged previous its authentic trial date set for July 11.
Based on Payments, she obtained a number of the discovery however wants extra time to course of all the invention that’s coming in.
PD Payments additionally knowledgeable the court docket Buggs has an impending medical process set for a later date in August, and requested the choose to provide a continuance for late September or early October.
Choose Dawna Reeves addressed the court docket’s battle to handle its calendar, and stated she can’t transfer preliminary hearings round so liberally.
“I’m prepared to accommodate for a quick time however please perceive that I can’t make a behavior of constant instances for brand spanking new counsel to get ready. I can’t let (a brand new caseload) create a hardship for the court docket, as a result of that’s going to influence each case,” Reeves stated.
Because of this, Payments maintained her continuance date of early September or late October, however the choose insisted on setting the trial date sooner not later as a result of the court docket believes it will likely be a brief trial.
“You guys are searching for lengthy continuances and I’m speaking about shorter (continuances). This case doesn’t require professional witnesses; it’s all civilian, it shouldn’t be arduous to prepare for,” Choose Reeves acknowledged.
Reeves in the end prolonged the case an additional week, setting the trial for July 18.
