STIPULATION AND ORDER TO CONTINUE STATUS CONFERENCE

MORRISON C. ENGLAND, JR., District Judge.

Plaintiff United States of America, through its respective counsel, and defendants Tony Acosta Alvarez and Lionel Ornelas, through their counsel of record, stipulate that the status conference currently set for August 2, 2018, be continued to September 6, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.

On January 4, 2018, Mr. Alvarez and Mr. Ornelas were both arraigned on the twenty-nine-count Indictment in this case. (ECF No. 21.) Since that time, the United States has produced 300-plus pages of discovery to each defendant, which includes the defendants' criminal histories, three complete search warrant packages from December 19, 2017 (the day each man was arrested at his home), and all of the investigative packages (i.e., pen-trap and § 2703(d) packages) submitted to the Court during the lifespan of this 8-month investigation. The government is now preparing for the defense additional materials, which include several hundred pages of reports prepared in connection with this case, as well as several dozen audio and video recordings from surveillance. Defense counsel will require additional time to review these new materials, as well as the materials already produced, to discuss them their clients, to conduct additional investigation, and to otherwise prepare for trial.

Based on the foregoing, the parties stipulate that the status conference currently scheduled for August 2, 2018, be continued to September 6, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. The parties further agree that time under the Speedy Trial Act should be excluded from the date the parties stipulated, up to and including September 6, 2018, under 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(A) and (B)(iv) [reasonable time to prepare], and General Order 479 [Local Code T4], based on continuity of counsel and defense preparation.

The parties agree that the failure to grant a continuance in this case would deny defense counsel reasonable time necessary for effective preparation, taking into account the exercise of due diligence. The parties also agree that the ends of justice served by the Court granting the requested continuance outweigh the best interests of the public and the defendants in a speedy trial.

ORDER

The Court, having received and considered the parties' stipulation, and good cause appearing therefore, adopts the parties' stipulation in its entirety as its order. It specifically finds that the failure to grant a continuance in this case would deny counsel reasonable time necessary for effective preparation, taking into account the exercise of due diligence. The Court also finds that the ends of justice served by granting the requested continuance outweigh the best interests of the public and the defendants in a speedy trial.

Time from the date the parties stipulated, up to and including September 6, 2018, shall be excluded from computation of time within which the trial in this case must be commenced under the Speedy Trial Act, see 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(7)(A) and (B)(iv) [reasonable time to prepare], and General Order 479 [Local Code T4]. It is further ordered that the August 2, 2018 status conference be continued until September 6, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.

IT IS SO ORDERED.