Opinion ID: 2091179
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Continuance of Trial.

Text: A motion for continuance for trial may be granted only upon a showing of good and compelling cause. Iowa R.Crim. P. 8.1(2). Otherwise, the date assigned for trial is considered fixed. Id. The decision to grant or deny a motion for continuance rests in the sound discretion of the trial judge. State v. Leutfaimany, 585 N.W.2d 200, 209 (Iowa 1998). It will not be disturbed on appeal unless an injustice has resulted. Id. The standard recognizes the interest of both the state and the defendant in a speedy and fair trial. Id. In this case, substitute counsel entered his appearance more than one month prior to trial. Furthermore, the request for a continuance was filed at the same time as the appearance. Substitute counsel could not have known at the time whether additional time was actually needed without having reviewed the file and the trial preparation conducted by prior counsel. Considering the time remaining before trial and the availability of the trial preparation by the attorney who represented Artzer in the first trial, the motion was premature. We also consider that substitute counsel never filed an additional motion for continuance after he started to pursue his own trial preparation. Substitute counsel did claim additional time was needed to obtain an expert witness on the issues of diminished capacity and intoxication, but later decided not to pursue these defenses. There is no indication the decision to abandon the defenses of diminished capacity and intoxication was based on the lack of time for preparation. We also reject any notion that the trial should have been continued to accommodate the vacation schedule of substitute counsel. Substitute counsel had the option of declining the request to represent Artzer to avoid the conflict. The interests of the State and a defendant in a speedy and fair trial do not embrace the self-inflicted personal interests of counsel. [1] Considering all of the circumstances as revealed by the record, we find the trial court acted well within its discretion to deny the motion for continuance of trial.