For those of you (including me) who have been wondering what the legal effects might be of all the recent delays in criminal court proceedings, given a criminal defendant’s statutory and constitutional rights to a “speedy trial,” the first case discussing the issue has been decided.  California’s First District Court (Div. 4) decided in Stanley v. Superior Court (June 9, 2020) 50 Cal.App.5th 164, that the severity of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has had within the state independently supports the trial court’s finding of good cause to continue the last day for the start of defendant’s trial by an extra 90 days under Pen. Code, § 1382.  The Appellate Court rejected defendant’s contention that the 90-day continuance violated his constitutional right to access the courts and to due process. Defendant had not been denied access to the courts, as reflected by the very consideration of his speedy trial motion. And defendant’s due process rights were not violated even though he had to sit out the delay in custody. The Court also noted that defendant did not allege that the conditions of his confinement posed a particular health risk to him sufficient to raise constitutional issues.  NOTE: See updated bulletin dated August 19, 2020 http://beta.legalupdates.com/legal-publication/constitutional-and-statutory-issues-raised-delays-criminal-proceedings-part-ii