Court Opinion

ID: 9496543
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 16:29:18.253144+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:57:38.729143
License: Public Domain

SILER, Circuit Judge,
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent, not because I condone the numerous delays in commencing the trial, as related by the majority opinion, but because I think that precedent in this court precludes the dismissal of the indictments.
As the majority recognizes, there is ample authority in this circuit after the decision in United States v. Clymer, 25 F.3d 824 (9th Cir.1994), explaining that the decision in Clymer is limited to cases in which a motion is postponed until after trial. See, e.g., United States v. George, 85 F.3d 1433, 1436 (9th Cir.1996)(“[T]he exception in ... Clymer ... applies only when a motion is decided after trial.”) Accord United States v. Gorman, 314 F.3d 1105, 1115 (9th Cir.2002); United States v. Springer, 51 F.3d 861, 865 (9th Cir.1995). In each of these cases following Clymer, motions in limine, similar to the motion in this case, were filed by either the prosecution or the defense.
The majority quotes language from Gor-man, 314 F.3d at 1115, that we should also consider whether there was an effort by the defendant “to obtain hearings on the pretrial motions.” Lewis made no explicit requests. Although he did request a speedy trial, I would not find that it is an implicit request for a ruling on the pending motion. Therefore, I would not dismiss the indictments but would affirm the convictions.