COVID-19 is Not an Excuse: Courts Must Hold Preliminary Hearings Within 60 Days of Arraignment

COVID-19 is Not an Excuse: Courts Must Hold Preliminary Hearings Within 60 Days of Arraignment The question before the court in Lacayo v. Superior Court was whether there were such “extraordinary circumstances” presented by the COVID-19 global pandemic to justify “good cause” for continuance of the defendant’s preliminary hearing beyond the 60-Day Rule. On February 24, 2020, Defendant Kareem Lacayo (“Lacayo”) was arraigned on charges for possession of a firearm…

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What is an Arraignment in California?

What is an Arraignment in California? Though the facts are different in every case, the path that every criminal case in California travels is designed to be the same. If you are suspected of committing a crime, you will first be arrested. If the prosecutor does not file charges, you will be released, and the process ends. If he or she does decide that the evidence is strong enough against…

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