Excerpt from THE NASVO NEWS, Summer 1995
SPEEDY TRIAL PROGRAMS net a RUSH to INJUSTICE
NEW ORLEANS, LA:  The Superior Court judges in Orleans Parish have an 
annual on-going contest:  How many trials can any judge dispense with 
during the calendar year, lovingly named the Annual Jury Trial Sweepstakes.  
The winner gets a monetary prize that comes from an ante pot between the 
judges.
The Times Picayune reported that last year the winner was Judge Leon
Cannizzaro Jr. who topped the record of 100 trials by finishing 101.
"I'm very satisfied we did it," Cannizzaro said, "In past years I've been
close, so I know how difficult it is... You have to have alot of hustle
and bustle, and like anything you have to have a little luck, too."
Judge Dennis Waldron, the previous champion for several years, having
maintained 100 trials for two years, said the mark become known as the
"magic number".  He stated, "It's like batting .300.  Or a pitcher having
20 victories."
Aside from competing against each other, Cannizzaro and Waldron have their
eyes on some of the all-time trial records, nearly all of which are held
by Judge Frank Shea.
Shea's reputation for swift justice is the stuff of legends.  In 1977, the
U.S. House of Representatives commended him for "his outstanding ability 
to conduct speedy criminal trials."  In 1979, he received a personal letter
of congratulations from Senator Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
Shea has the most 100-trial years - four - and the most jury trials in one
day: six.  But perhaps the most intimidating record of all is Shea's 169 
trials in one year - set in 1975.
"Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to top the record," said
Waldron.
"I had a lot of hot years in a row," Shea said.  "Every judge has his hot
years.  I think it's a tribute to all the judges' dedications to their 
jobs."
One has to wonder where these judges learned law.  NASVO/VOCAL always 
understood that "speedy trial" meant the right one has to immediately be
tried after arrest.  It had nothing to do with the length of the trial 
itself.
TUCSON, AZ:  Dubbed as the "Rocket Docket", trials in Pima County Superior
Court are now limited to completion within 100 days after arrest.  This 
100 day limitation encompasses all pre-trial hearings, motions, jury
selections, trial and verdict.
One public defender, John Seamon, continually objected through a trial 
involving a man facing child molestation charges.  Seamon stated that he
required more time to interview primary witnesses in the case.  The judge
refused, telling Seamon that he could at least "put on the appearance of
a defense."  Seamon continued to object, causing him to be jailed and 
fined for contempt.
His client was found guilty and sentenced to forty-five years in prison.
One week after his conviction, the accusing child came forth and recanted
the allegations, stating that they had lied.  The judge refused to hear
the recant.
This caused an uproar in the Pima County Public Defender Office, as well
as Legal Aid, and other defense attorneys in the area.  On July 3, 1995,
approximately 50 participated in a rally on the court house steps.  
NASVO/VOCAL participated.
~~~ ReneWave v1.00.wb2 (unregistered)
--- Mankind = One Family
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