Opinion ID: 76519
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Just and Practicable

Text: 14 Amended Rule 33 became effective on December 1, 1998. Order, supra. It govern[s] all proceedings in criminal cases thereafter commenced, and, insofar as just and practicable, all proceedings in criminal cases then pending. Id. (emphasis added). 15 Only two Circuits have addressed in published opinions whether application of the amended rule to a pending criminal case like Correa's is just and practicable. See United States v. Ristovski, 312 F.3d 206, 212 (6th Cir.2002); United States v. Bowler, 252 F.3d 741, 746 (5th Cir.2001). In Ristovski, the Sixth Circuit held that application of the amended rule was just and practicable where the defendant had 19 months after the amended rule became effective in which he could have filed a motion for new trial. 312 F.3d at 212. In contrast, the Fifth Circuit reached the opposite result in Bowler because, under amended Rule 33, the defendant would have been required to file his motion for new trial more than five months before the amended rule became effective. 252 F.3d at 746. 16 The facts of this case are most like those in Ristovski. The Ristovski court applied the amended rule to a defendant who had 19 months in which he could have filed a motion for new trial after the amended rule became effective. Correa had more than 34 months. Similarly, we conclude the application of the amended rule is just and practicable in this case where Correa had more than 34 months to file his motion after the amended rule became effective.