malachilenomade
06-01-2006, 04:26 PM
I had Preliminary Trial Ver 2.0 today. It was supposed to start at 9:30, but because the DA had another trial at the same time, we had to wait for an ADA to show up at about 10:20 (I was starting to sweat the possibility of running over on my 2 hour parking meter). In the end, the charges have been moved up to "Conspiracy to commit {blah blah} and {blah blah}" because he had an accomplise (though 'Juan Doe' is still at large and no, that's not racist... the guy is hispanic ;) ). I think the weapons charge is going to be dropped, though. I didn't SEE a weapon and the weapon was retrieved from the police car after the guy was removed. Bail was not adjusted (still $50,000) and he's still sitting in jail. His arraignment is on July 14th, but I don't have to go to that (I was told it would be pointless for me to do so).
What really got my goat about the trial was, in Prelim Trial Ver 1.0, Defense (who was changed in Ver 2.0) got a continuance based on there being a tape recorder rather than a stenographer in the courtroom. In Ver 2.0, we still didn't have a stenographer and used a TAPE RECORDER! Damn, this whole thing could have moved along last month... basically, all Ver 1.0's Defense Attorney did was insure that the guy sat in jail longer (which will be reflected in any jail sentence he gets) and wasted mine and the Officer's time... I should get the Victim's Council to bill HER rather than the defendant for that afternoon!
One thing that I found humorous though... When trying to get bail lessened, they turned to some guy sitting next to me (I have NO clue who he is), and the guy rattled off some spiel about "At the time of arrest, he was unemployed, living with his mother and father and he has a daughter who lives..... *page flip, page flip, page flip, page flip* Uuuuuuh, she lives.... *page flip, page flip, page flip*...." And at that point, the ADA jumped in and said how this attack and his public drunkenness (BAL 0.2, twice the legal limit for PA) is in violation of a previous charge of underaged drinking. Judge says no change in bail. And the whole time this guy is flipping through his papers trying to find where the daughter lives, I can just barely hear the defendant's father, muttering under his breath a couple chairs from me what MUST have been the location of his son's daughter... it was an utter state of confusion over what should have been a very simple answer that took a lot to keep from busting out laughing ;)
What really got my goat about the trial was, in Prelim Trial Ver 1.0, Defense (who was changed in Ver 2.0) got a continuance based on there being a tape recorder rather than a stenographer in the courtroom. In Ver 2.0, we still didn't have a stenographer and used a TAPE RECORDER! Damn, this whole thing could have moved along last month... basically, all Ver 1.0's Defense Attorney did was insure that the guy sat in jail longer (which will be reflected in any jail sentence he gets) and wasted mine and the Officer's time... I should get the Victim's Council to bill HER rather than the defendant for that afternoon!
One thing that I found humorous though... When trying to get bail lessened, they turned to some guy sitting next to me (I have NO clue who he is), and the guy rattled off some spiel about "At the time of arrest, he was unemployed, living with his mother and father and he has a daughter who lives..... *page flip, page flip, page flip, page flip* Uuuuuuh, she lives.... *page flip, page flip, page flip*...." And at that point, the ADA jumped in and said how this attack and his public drunkenness (BAL 0.2, twice the legal limit for PA) is in violation of a previous charge of underaged drinking. Judge says no change in bail. And the whole time this guy is flipping through his papers trying to find where the daughter lives, I can just barely hear the defendant's father, muttering under his breath a couple chairs from me what MUST have been the location of his son's daughter... it was an utter state of confusion over what should have been a very simple answer that took a lot to keep from busting out laughing ;)