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 October 18, 2018, be continued to December 13, 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.) Following the arraignment, the United States produced 300-plus pages of discovery to each defendant, which included the defendants' criminal histories, three complete search warrant packages from the day each man was arrested at his home in December 2017, and all of the investigative packages (i.e., pen-trap and § 2703(d) packages) submitted to the Court during this 8-month investigation. The government is producing an additional set of discovery materials this week, which include over 1,000 pages of reports prepared in connection with this case, as well as 32 compact disks with 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 October 18, 2018, be continued to December 13, 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.
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 further 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 December 13, 2018, shall be excluded from computation of time within which the trial in this case must begin 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 October 18, 2018 status conference be continued until
IT IS SO ORDERED.