You are here: / / POSTREADINESS DELAY BECAUSE A PROSECUTION WITNESS WAS ON VACATION WAS CHARGEABLE...

POSTREADINESS DELAY BECAUSE A PROSECUTION WITNESS WAS ON VACATION WAS CHARGEABLE TO THE PEOPLE, DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS ON SPEEDY TRIAL GROUNDS SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing County Court, determined a period of postreadiness delay because a prosecution witness was on vacation was chargeable to the People and the defendant’s speedy trial motion should have been granted:

It is well established that “[t]he unavailability of a prosecution witness may be a sufficient justification for delay . .. , provided that the People attempted with due diligence to make the witness available” … . Additionally, the reason for the witness’s unavailability is relevant to determining whether a delay is justified. Where a witness is unavailable because of medical reasons or military deployment, courts generally have held that the delay is not chargeable to the People … . Where the witness is unavailable because he or she has taken a vacation, however, many courts have charged the time to the People … . That is because “the mere fact that a necessary witness plans to go on a vacation does not relieve [the People] of their speedy trial obligation” … . Here, the People did not establish that they exercised due diligence to secure the witness’s presence on the scheduled trial date, and we conclude that the delay arising from the witness’s unavailability during his vacation is chargeable to the People. People v Harrison, 2019 NY Slip Op 03173, Fourth Dept 4-26-19

 

You might also like
THE STRICT LIABILITY STANDARD IN DOG-BITE CASES APPLIES HERE WHERE THE DOG WAS HARBORED BY THE DEFENDANT UNTIL THE ANIMAL SOCIETY COULD FIND SOMEONE TO ADOPT HIM; THE NEGLIGENCE STANDARD WHICH APPLIES TO A DOG-BITE IN A VETERINARIAN’S WAITING ROOM (WHERE THE VETERINARIAN IS THE DEFENDANT) IS NOT APPLICABLE (FOURTH DEPT).
DWI COUNTS WERE LESSER INCLUSORY COUNTS OF VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISMISSED, ERROR DID NOT REQUIRE PRESERVATION (FOURTH DEPT).
IN THIS CAR ACCIDENT CASE, PLAINTIFF RAISED A QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER THE RELEASE SHE SIGNED WAS THE RESULT OF MUTUAL MISTAKE CONCERNING THE EXTENT OF HER INJURIES (FOURTH DEPT). ​
Contractor May Be Liable to Noncontracting Third Party If Area Made Less Safe by Contractor’s Work
THE JURY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO CONSIDER A THEORY OF DEPRAVED INDIFFERENCE MURDER WHICH WAS NOT ALLEGED IN THE BILL OF PARTICULARS (FOURTH DEPT).
THE TRANSFER OF DECEDENT’S HOME TO THE TWO CHILDREN WHO WERE CARING FOR HIM WAS COMPENSATION FOR THE CAREGIVERS PURSUANT TO AN AGREEMENT, NOT A GIFT (WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE POWER OF ATTORNEY) (FOURTH DEPT). ​
THE AMENDED STATUTE CHANGING THE CRITERIA FOR NEGLECT BASED ON MARIHUANA USE WENT INTO EFFECT TWO DAYS BEFORE THE HEARING AND WAS NOT APPLIED TO THE FACTS; MATTER REMITTED (FOURTH DEPT).
CAUSE OF FALL SUFFICIENTLY DEMONSTRATED WITH CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE, DEFENSE MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT PROPERLY DENIED.

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2026 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

NEW YORK DID NOT HAVE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OVER A CUSTODY MATTER BECAUSE... STATEMENT MADE BY THE ASSAULT VICTIM 12 TO 15 MINUTES AFTER THE ASSAULT WAS...