Plans for the Week

I spent the last three days prepping up two separate jury trials which I have scheduled for this week. Wanna bet whether they'll actually take place?

One of the most frustrating things about being a prosecutor is the number of times you set up for trial and it doesn't happen. Quite often, there isn't any real question as to whether the defendant is guilty. The defendant is just hoping that a witness won't show or that I'll be too inconvenienced by the threat of trial and drop the charge.  Whatever the cause, most of the time I've prepped for a jury trial the defendant, informed by his attorney that "yes, he really is going to try you", the defendant folds his tent the day before or the day of the trial.

BTW, defense attorneys, when the defendant does this to us (you had to prep too), I know you have to ask, but the answer is "No, the offer of two weeks in jail is not still on the table now that there's a jury and witnesses here." Sorry. The reason the deal was offered was because I didn't want to spend my Thanksgiving break prepping a jury trial and to force witnesses and jurors to miss work. That's all water under the bridge now. Catch me the day before so I can call off the witnesses and jurors. Then I'll probably be in a slightly less steadfast mood.