View source for Motion for a continuance

==Motion for a continuance==

Whenever counsel is not fully prepared to proceed, he or she should move for a continuance. This applies to advising the defendant about entering a plea, conducting the defense of the preliminary hearing, responding to a motion, or proceeding to trial.[[FN62]] As a rule, it is within the discretion of the court to grant the motion if good cause is shown.[[FN63]]

Voluminous documentation requiring analysis,[[FN64]] the defendant's decision to switch counsel in the midst of the proceedings,[[FN65]] and the amount of time required for defense experts to analyze the technical parts of the case have all been on the bases for defense continuances of computer crime cases.[[FN66]] If a motion for a change of venue has been denied, and if counsel believes there has been a damaging amount of adverse pretrial publicity, he or she should move for a continuance until the time that a fair trial may be had.[[FN67]] Failure to make a motion for a change of venue[[FN68]]