Opinion ID: 551278
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Month-Long Continuance.

Text: 50 Appellant's lament that he was afforded too brief a continuance is equally unavailing. This is not a case where the judge demanded that the trial proceed at full throttle, heedless of a defendant's rights. The judge gave a reasonable continuance, affording defense counsel and his retained psychiatrist four days to examine medical records and obtain additional evidence anent Gottlieb's competency. The judge also arranged for the psychiatrist to examine the witness--an examination which lasted for four-and-one-half hours. We think these steps ameliorated the claimed surprise. At any rate, Devin failed to show an authentic need for a longer continuance. To be sure, he voiced a vague assertion, based on the psychiatrist's conclusory affidavit, that the expert needed the 30 days to consult with Gottlieb and his family. 10 But appellant offered no specifics--and the expert never testified. 51 A party seeking a lengthy continuance midway through an ongoing trial has some burden to persuade the trier that a genuine need for more time exists. There is an important public interest in the efficient operation of the judicial system and in the orderly management of crowded dockets. Hence, mid-trial continuances should be granted sparingly, for good cause shown, not conferred upon litigants merely for the asking. The district judge is at the helm, sensitive to the tides that ebb and flow during a prolonged trial and knowledgeable about systemic demands. He is, therefore, the person best equipped to balance the competing considerations. It follows that an appellate court must show great deference to a district court's decision granting or refusing a continuance, overturning it only for a manifest abuse of discretion. See Morris v. Slappy, 461 U.S. 1, 11-12, 103 S.Ct. 1610, 1616-17, 75 L.Ed.2d 610 (1983); Zannino, 895 F.2d at 13; Real, 828 F.2d at 63. In the case before us, there are simply no grounds for concluding that the judge abused his discretion in deciding to rule on Gottlieb's competency at the conclusion of the voir dire and to recommence the witness' direct testimony that day. The court's refusal of a 30-day continuance was not error. 52