Opinion ID: 1723327
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: refusal of a continuance

Text: Johnson was indicted January 18, 1982. On March 1, 1982, the circuit judge entered an order specially setting the cause for trial July 13, 1982, in the Circuit Court of Covington County. On June 3, 1982, Johnson made a motion for a change of venue. On June 21, 1982, the circuit judge entered an order sustaining the motion, transferring the cause to Pike County, and setting the cause for trial August 30, 1982. The record in this case reveals thorough and aggressive defense counsel. At least thirty pre-trial motions of one kind or another were made. Inexplicably, defense counsel waited until August 30, 1982, to file a motion for a continuance on the ground two witnesses purported to be forensic scientists would be out of the country for the week beginning August 30. The motion further stated these witnesses had viewed all the evidence and prepared extensively from a scientific point of view, and would be called as witnesses in the defendant's case in chief. Johnson filed no affidavit with the motion. Defense counsel Diaz attached an affidavit to postpone the trial thirty days in order to study the trial transcripts of trials of Montgomery and Fairley, which stated nothing, however, about the absent witnesses. On August 18 there was a colloquy with the court about these witnesses, the circuit judge stated he had no knowledge as to what they would testify, and got a general answer they were experts and would help defense counsel try the case. This motion contained almost none of the essential ingredients we have consistently required under Miss. Code Ann. § 99-15-29 (1972) to justify a continuance of a cause. It was also contemptuous of the obligation every trial counsel owes a court to wait until ten days before the pre-determined trial date to inform the circuit judge of the unavailability of these two witnesses, as shown by the facts in this particular case. This assignment of error is frivolous.