STIPULATION AND ORDER CONTINUING STATUS CONFERENCE

MORRISON C. ENGLAND, Jr., Chief District Judge.

The United States of America, through its counsel Assistant U. S. Attorney William S. Wong, and Christopher Sean Geanakos, through his counsel Clyde M. Blackmon, stipulate that the status conference now scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on April 9, 2015, may be continued to 9:00 a.m. on May 28, 2015.

Mr. Geanakos is charged with the receipt and distribution of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2253(a). At trial the government will rely on evidence obtained from Mr. Geanakos's computer which was seized pursuant to a search warrant. The Court has previously authorized counsel for Mr. Geanakos to obtain the services of a forensic expert to examine the hard drive in Mr. Geanakos's computer. Pursuant to that authorization, counsel has retained Marcus Lawson of Global CompuSearch, LLC to conduct a forensic examination of the hard drive. On February 23, 2015, the Court, pursuant to a stipulation between the parties, issued a protective order which permits Mr. Lawson to examine the hard drive and report his findings to counsel for Mr. Geanakos. However, due to Mr. Lawson's involvement in other cases he has not been able to undertake that examination and additional time is required for Mr. Lawson to conduct his examination and report to counsel. The parties, therefore, request the Court to continue the currently scheduled status conference to May 28, 2015.

The parties further stipulate that the time from the currently set status conference on April 9, 2015, through May 28, 2015, the requested date for the continued status conference, should be excluded from computation of the time period in which trial should commence under the Speedy Trial Act. The parties agree that, taking into account the exercise of due diligence, the ends of justice would be served by the Court excluding that time period from computation because of the necessity for the defense to conduct a forensic examination of the computer hard drive and the need for defense counsel to have reasonable time for effective preparation. 18 U.S.C. §3161(h)(7)(B)(iv) (Local Code T4).

For these reasons, Mr. Geanakos, his counsel and the government stipulate that the ends of justice served by granting the requested continuance of the status conference outweigh the best interests of the public and Mr. Geanakos in a speedy trial.

ORDER

IT IS ORDERED that the status conference currently set for April 9, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. is continued to May 28, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. For the reasons stipulated by the parties, good cause exists pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §3161(h)(7)(B)(iv), and time is excluded under the Speedy Trial Act through May 28, 2015. For the reason set forth in the stipulation of the parties, the ends of justice served by granting this continuance outweigh the best interests of the public and Mr. Geanakos in a speedy trial. 18 U.S.C. §3161(h)(7)(B)(iv) (Local Code T4).

IT IS SO ORDERED.