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Order to Continue Trial Date - 1

United States v. William Edward Cook, No CR 06-15RSL

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

700 Stewart Street, Suite 5220

Seattle, Washington 98101-1271

(206) 553-7970

The Honorable Robert S. Lasnik

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON

AT SEATTLE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

 Plaintiff,

v.

WILLIAM EDWARD COOK,

Defendant. 

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NO. CR 06-15RSL

ORDER

CONTINUING TRIAL DATE

Based upon the reasons stated in the joint motion of the parties to continue the

trial date, and upon a review of the records and files herein, this Court adopts the

stipulation of the parties and FINDS and RULES as follows: 

On January 4, 2006, a criminal complaint was filed charging the defendant,

WILLIAM EDWARD COOK, with bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United

States Code, Section 2113(a). Specifically, the complaint alleged that on January 3,

2006, COOK robbed a branch of Washington Mutual Bank, in Kent, Washington, of

$2560.00. On January 18, 2006, a grand jury returned an Indictment charging COOK

with the conduct and on January 26, 2006, COOK was arraigned on that charge. At

the arraignment, a March 27, 2006, trial date was set. 

In addition to this pending charge, COOK has also been charged, by criminal

complaint, with Escape, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 751(a),

Case 2:06-cr-00015-RSL Document 15 Filed 03/15/06 Page 1 of 4
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Order to Continue Trial Date - 2

United States v. William Edward Cook, No CR 06-15RSL

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

700 Stewart Street, Suite 5220

Seattle, Washington 98101-1271

(206) 553-7970

for failing to return to Pioneer Fellowship House. See United States v. Cook, 05-

564M. The Escape complaint alleges that on November 19, 2005, COOK left Pioneer

Fellowship House and failed to return. COOK was at Pioneer Fellowship House

finishing his sentence for a previous federal conviction for bank robbery. See United

States v. Cook, 00-546P (on September 7, 2001, the Honorable Marsha J. Pechman

sentenced COOK on September 7, 2001, to a term of incarceration of sixty-three (63)

months, to be followed by three years of supervised release). 

The government has indicated that COOK is also a suspect in up to ten (10)

other bank robberies that occurred in the Western District of Washington in November

and December 2005. The government has submitted that the investigation of the

additional robberies is ongoing, but not yet completed, and a Superseding Indictment

charging additional counts is anticipated in this matter. 

The parties have jointly moved for a continuance of the trial date. As grounds

therefore, the parties have cited the complications involved in resolving the present case

with other pending matters, as well as with possible additional charges. The parties

submit that they have been in discussions regarding resolution of this case, and believe

it to be most prudent to try to resolve the pending case with all other bank robberies, as

well as the outstanding Escape charge. However, the parties have indicated that the

current trial date of March 27, 2006, does not afford the parties the time necessary to

investigate the other robberies, as well as to explore the ramifications of the Escape

charge and the commission of the current offense on COOK’s prior conviction. 

The parties agree that the ends of justice served by granting this motion to

continue outweigh the best interest of the public and defendant in a speedy trial. The

parties also agree that the case is unusual because of the prior conviction, pending

Escape charge, and likely additional counts of bank robbery. 

It therefore appearing to the Court that the case is unusual and that the ends of

justice served by granting the requested continuance outweigh the interest of the public

and the defendants in a speedy trial,

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Order to Continue Trial Date - 3

United States v. William Edward Cook, No CR 06-15RSL

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

700 Stewart Street, Suite 5220

Seattle, Washington 98101-1271

(206) 553-7970

IT IS ORDERED that the trial date be continued from March 27, 2006, until 

May 30, 2006. 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the period of delay from the date of this

Order, until May 30, 2006, is excludable time pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(8)(A),

for the purpose of computing the time limitations imposed by the Speedy Trial Act, 

DATED this 15th day of March, 2006.

A

Robert S. Lasnik

United States District Judge

Presented By:

JOHN McKAY

United States Attorney

/s/ Tessa M. Gorman 

TESSA M. GORMAN

Assistant United States Attorney

WSBA# 35908

United States Attorney’s Office

700 Stewart Street, Suite 5220

Seattle, Washington 98101

Telephone (206) 553-4994

Facsimile (206) 553-0755

Email: Tessa.Gorman@usdoj.gov

/s/ Robert H. Gombiner* 

ROBERT H. GOMBINER

Assistant Federal Public Defender

WSBA # 16093

Counsel for WILLIAM COOK

Federal Public Defender’s Office

1601 Fifth Avenue, Suite 700

Seattle, Washington 98101

Telephone (206) 553-1100

Facsimile (206) 553-0120

Email: robert_gombiner@fd.org

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Order to Continue Trial Date - 4

United States v. William Edward Cook, No CR 06-15RSL

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

700 Stewart Street, Suite 5220

Seattle, Washington 98101-1271

(206) 553-7970

*Signed electronically per telephone authorization. 

Case 2:06-cr-00015-RSL Document 15 Filed 03/15/06 Page 4 of 4