Opinion ID: 1211537
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Substantive Principles of Trial Continuance

Text: The cases which help define a meaningful continuance enunciate criteria for determining whether or not there exists a violation of the sound discretion of the court. These criteria are: (a) substantial prejudice to the litigative rights of the movant party. Tomash v. Evans, Wyo., 704 P.2d 1296 (1985); Urich v. Fox, Wyo., 687 P.2d 893 (1984); Gonzales v. Harris, 34 Colo. App. 282, 542 P.2d 842 (1974); Sapp v. Wong, 62 Hawaii 34, 609 P.2d 137 (1980); Winkelman v. Allen, 214 Kan. 22, 519 P.2d 1377 (1974); Griffiths v. Hammon, Utah, 560 P.2d 1375 (1977); (b) presence or absence of contributory responsibility of the litigant to the prejudice. Sharp v. Sharp, Wyo., 671 P.2d 317 (1983); Cates v. Eddy, Wyo., 669 P.2d 912 (1983); Craver v. Craver, Wyo., 601 P.2d 999 (1979); Conditioned Air Co. v. Post, Colo. App., 513 P.2d 215 (1973); Woods v. Commonwealth, Ky., 305 S.W.2d 935 (1957); as balanced by (c) fairness and justice to the opposing litigant. Higgins v. Johnson, Fla.App., 422 So.2d 16 (1982); Winkelman v. Allen, supra; Bairas v. Johnson, 13 Utah 2d 269, 373 P.2d 375 (1962); (d) court docket control and maintenance, and the general necessity of reaching a conclusion. United States v. Burton, 189 U.S.App.D.C. 327, 584 F.2d 485 (Cir.), cert. denied 439 U.S. 1069, 99 S.Ct. 837, 59 L.Ed.2d 34 (1979); First National Bank and Trust Company of El Dorado v. Ford Motor Credit Company, 231 Kan. 431, 646 P.2d 1057 (1982); Budget Laundry Company v. Munter, 450 Pa. 13, 298 A.2d 55 (1972). Additionally invoked in criminal cases is the application of constitutional rights afforded by the Wyoming Constitution, Art. 1, § 6: No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, Art. 1, § 10: In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall have the right to defend in person and by counsel, to demand the nature and cause of the accusation, to have a copy thereof, to be confronted with the witnesses against him, to have compulsory process served for obtaining witnesses, and to a speedy trial by an impartial jury of the county or district in which the offense is alleged to have been committed.   , and the Constitution of the United States, Amendments V, VI and XIV. However abuse of discretion may be defined, it surely should be found if, by denying a continuance, the trial court has effectively determined the case or directed a verdict. The court in this case, by denying a continuance, simply directed a verdict of conviction for the crime charged. See Cates v. Eddy, supra, as a premier example of a similar result. However, that case involved only money. Cf. Tomash v. Evans, supra; Urich v. Fox, supra; Yates v. Superior Court in and for Pima County, 120 Ariz. 436, 586 P.2d 997 (1978); Schwarz v. Ulmer, 149 Colo. 601, 370 P.2d 889 (1962); Sapp v. Wong, supra; First National Bank & Trust Company v. Ford Motor Credit Company, supra.