Opinion ID: 2981099
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Ends-of-Justice Continuances

Text: “To conduct a proper ends-of-justice analysis when granting a continuance, a district court must state in the record, either orally or in writing, its reasons for determining that granting the continuance outweighs the public’s and the defendant’s No. 11-3127 United States v. Richardson Page 5 interest in a speedy trial, based on the factors set forth in (h)(7)(B).” United States v. Stone, Nos.10-1748, 10-1753, 2012 WL 432251, at  (6th Cir. Feb. 13, 2012) (citing 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(A)). “The court does not have to give its reasons contemporaneously with the grant of the continuance; it need only give the reasons no later than the ruling on the defendant’s motion to dismiss on Speedy Trial Act grounds.” Id. (citing United States v. Crawford, 982 F.2d 199, 204 (6th Cir. 1993)); see also Zedner, 547 U.S. at 507 n.7 (considering a contemporaneous statement to be “best practices”). In reviewing each continuance, we consider whether (1) the district court abused its discretion in finding that the continuance should be excluded; and (2) the district court properly placed its reasoning on the record. We find no abuse of discretion.
The trial was initially set for January 12, 2009. On December 17, 2008, Richardson, who was proceeding pro se at the time, moved for a continuance of the trial date. On December 31, 2008, Richardson asked to be represented by counsel, and the court made arrangements to appoint an attorney Richardson had chosen. The court suggested a trial date of March 30, 2009, and Richardson’s newly appointed counsel indicated that he could be prepared by then. At the close of the conference, the court noted that the continuance was in the interest of justice for both Richardson and codefendant Welti, stating “I will designate the period between now and the current trial date of March 30th as a period of delay that is in the interest of justice, and that the continuance outweighs the best interest of the public and the two defendants in this case in a speedy trial.” (Page ID # 1768.) The court also noted that the documents were voluminous, but many of them were the same as the evidence produced in the first indictment. Richardson responded that his counsel needed time to review the documents. On January 7, 2009, the court entered an order stating that the delay was in the interests of justice because the defendants needed time to review the substantial evidence in the case. No. 11-3127 United States v. Richardson Page 6 “Defense counsel’s need for additional time to prepare an unusually complex case is an appropriate reason for granting a continuance.” Stone, 2012 WL 432251, at . Therefore, there is no abuse of discretion in subtracting this continuance from the speedy-trial clock. Furthermore, the court put its specific reasoning—that the defense needed time to review records and prepare for trial—on the record three separate times, so this ends-of-justice continuance was properly excluded from the speedy-trial clock. Zedner, 547 U.S. at 506–508.
On March 16, 2009, Richardson’s counsel made an oral motion to continue the trial in order to further review discovery produced by the government. During this conference, Richardson’s counsel stated that he was having various problems with discovery in the case. He stated that he was having problems obtaining discovery from Richardson’s former counsel in the earlier case, he referenced the voluminous nature of the discovery, his trouble finding and obtaining certain discovery materials, the confusing ways in which certain discovery materials had been labeled, and trouble searching through discovery documents. After listening to the various reasons Richardson’s counsel set forth in support of the continuance, the court asked Richardson’s counsel “[i]s the bottom line here that you’re not going to be ready . . . by the 30th?” (Page ID # 1786.) In response, Richardson’s counsel stated “[t]here is no way, shape or form.” (Id.) When the judge asked Richardson’s counsel when he would be ready for trial, he said that he was thinking ninety days, but that he should be ready to go in sixty. Based on this context, the court found a continuance served the ends of justice for both Richardson and Welti, stating “it certainly seems that the ends of justice are served by rescheduling the trial and affording [Richardson’s counsel] an adequate time to prepare and assess the case, and that outweighs the public and the government’s interest in a trial, as well as the defendants’—plural—interest in a speedy trial.” (Page ID # 1795.) Accordingly, the court excluded the time from March 16 to June 8, 2009, from the speedy-trial clock, and the trial was set for June 8, 2009. No. 11-3127 United States v. Richardson Page 7 The court’s explanation for excluding this time from the speedy trial clock was sufficient under Zedner, 547 U.S. at 506–508, because given the context, the record clearly establishes that a continuance serves the ends of justice. Furthermore, in its order denying Richardson’s motion to dismiss under the Speedy Trial Act, the court restated that “the continuance was necessary in the ends of justice to allow proper trial preparation.” (Page ID # 1436.) This ends-of-justice continuance was also properly excluded. See United States v. Stewart, 628 F.3d 246, 253 (6th Cir. 2010) (upholding an ends-of-justice consideration for a continuance where defense counsel explained in the unopposed motion that the case’s complexity warranted continuance, and where the court stated on the record that the continuance was in the interest of justice because counsel needed more time to prepare).
Richardson moved for another continuance on May 14, 2009, claiming that the volume of discovery documents coupled with trouble getting documents from previous counsel and viewing items on a hard drive prevented him from being prepared. The Government did not oppose that motion, but suggested that ninety days would be adequate. At the June 9, 2009 hearing on the motion, Richardson’s counsel spoke at length, emphasizing the complexity of the trusts involved in the case, and requested a continuance of six months. The court indicated that, if it were to grant the six-month continuance, then it would not entertain any more continuances based on Richardson’s counsel’s need for time to prepare. In response to the argument, the court made the following finding: And the new schedule is in response to [Richardson’s counsel’s] motion in the interest of justice, and it supersedes and outweighs the government’s interest in a speedy trial, the defendant’s interest in the speed of the trial, and the public’s interest in a speedy trial in order to permit [Richardson’s counsel] to adequately prepare for the trial, or whatever other strategy or decision he might suggest to Mr. Richardson. No. 11-3127 United States v. Richardson Page 8 (Page ID # 827.) The court confirmed with Richardson, co-defendant Welti, and the Government that each agreed to the extension and the new schedule, which set the trial date for January 5, 2010. The court correctly found that this continuance was in the interests of justice and stated its findings on the record contemporaneously with that finding. Thus, the court met the requirements of Zedner, 547 U.S. at 506–508. No further statement from the court was needed. See id. Accordingly, this continuance was also properly excluded from the speedy-trial clock.
On October 12, 2009, co-defendant Welti filed a motion requesting that his stand-by counsel be appointed as his primary attorney. But Welti’s stand-by counsel instead moved to withdraw from the case in order to take a new position with the Federal Public Defender’s Office. In light of this situation, new counsel was appointed for Welti. On November 6, 2009, Richardson moved to continue the case again, this time for “at least 3 months, or until at least April 6, 2010 to enable Richardson and his counsel to properly prepare for his defense.” (Page ID # 900.) At the next status conference, on November 17, 2009, Welti’s new counsel moved for a continuance. Then Richardson’s counsel stated that he had recently learned about thirty boxes of discovery materials he had not yet reviewed, and “that continuance will enable us to go through those boxes.” (Page ID # 983.) In response, the court addressed the Government, stating that it would not allow “the trial date to be manipulated—for lack of a better term—by the government in its failure to produce discovery in a timely fashion.” (Page ID # 984.) A discussion followed that clarified the status of the discovery materials. Welti’s counsel suggested a severance so that Richardson’s case could move forward independently of Welti’s, and Richardson responded “[i]f we could have effective assistance of counsel, that would be fine. But I don’t know how we could have effective [assistance] if he’s not ready.” (Page ID # No. 11-3127 United States v. Richardson Page 9 997–98.) Thus, Richardson not only refused to sever the cases, he also acknowledged that he was not prepared for trial and would need the extra time given by the continuance. The court filed a written order on November 30, 2009, granting both defendants’ motions for continuance. The court found that “the ends of justice in granting this continuance to allow proper trial preparation outweighs the Defendants’ and public’s interest in a speedy trial.” (Page ID # 978.) The court’s statements on the record and written findings articulated in its contemporaneous order amount to a proper ends-of-justice finding, particularly when considered in the context of Richardson’s own motion to continue and his refusal to sever his case from Welti’s. See Stewart, 628 F.3d at 253; see also Zedner, 547 U.S. at 506–508. Therefore, this continuance was properly excluded from the speedy-trial clock.
On March 24, 2010, Welti’s new counsel asked for a few more weeks in order to review discovery and prepare for trial, which the court granted, stating that the need for the defense to be prepared for trial outweighed the interest in a speedy trial. At a conference on April 13, 2010, the parties met with the court to set a date for trial, which was scheduled for June 29, 2010. The court excluded from the speedy-trial clock the time between April 13, 2010 and June 29, 2010, finding that Welti’s counsel needed that time to fully prepare for trial. Considered in the context of the conference, in which Welti’s counsel stated that he had an ongoing trial in Kentucky that would prevent him from being prepared for this trial before the June 29 date, and further considering that Richardson had expressly declined to sever the cases, this continuance was properly excluded in the interests of justice. See Stewart, 628 F.3d at 253; see also Zedner, 547 U.S. at 506–508. In its order denying Richardson’s motion to dismiss on Speedy Trial Act grounds, the court reiterated that the continuance was necessary to allow proper trial preparation. No. 11-3127 United States v. Richardson Page 10 Based on this analysis, and in light of the general rule that only one speedy-trial clock governs both defendants where the court has not severed the cases, 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7); see also see United States v. Cope, 312 F.3d 757, 776 (6th Cir. 2002), the district court did not abuse its discretion in granting each continuance complained of here. Moreover, Richardson makes no attempt in his briefs to argue that he was prejudiced by the various continuances, the majority of which he requested. “[I]n order to obtain a reversal of a conviction on the basis of a violation of the Speedy Trial Act where a district court exercises its discretion to grant a continuance for the ends of justice, a defendant must show ‘actual prejudice.’” Stewart, 628 F.3d at 254 (citing United States v. Gardner, 488 F.3d 700, 718 (6th Cir. 2007) (refusing to overturn the defendant’s conviction based on a violation of the Speedy Trial Act where the “period of delay occasioned by the granting of [two of the defendants’] motions was reasonable”)). Accordingly, Richardson’s claim of error is without merit.