It always seems to me that cases get continued over and over and just drag on for literally YEARS all so the defense attorneys can make more money. They charge by the hour, so...
But if true, I would expect a case like JB's mentioned above, would start to move relatively faster now that he's going to represent himself (whether that's been decided yet or not, I don't know). So for those watching that case (or others in the past where no defense attorney was being paid), can you say if that's what happens? Do cases like that move faster in general than those whose attorneys are making more money the longer the case drags on?
But also, many many cases have a public defender instead of a privately paid attorney. Do those public defender cases also go on for years (at least in California)? Or is it mostly the ones with a paid atty? And I don't know how public defenders are paid... is it by the hour or are they on salary, so it wouldn't mean they get paid more to stretch the case out longer?
It'd be interesting to see results of some serious studies done on this. But I suspect it might turn out to be more the result of the cases and evidence being so very complicated and extensive now, as well as the courts being jammed and backed up, and they're just getting to everything when they can. But a decade of pre-trial happenings isn't that rare, and that is outrageous to me. And it does make it so frustrating to follow cases like that.
So the Judge ordered to be re evaluated to see if he can represent himself... another competency motions hearing [10/31]. I just wish the DA would take the death penalty off that case - maybe it would go a bit more faster....
