Judge denies continuance in State v. James Sanchez, trial remains set

The court denied a defense request to continue the jury trial in State v. James Sanchez (2025 CR 0008079). Defense counsel told the court that extensive plea negotiations had been underway and that a plea agreement appeared to have been reached only to be disrupted at the last minute. Counsel said they needed roughly a month to subpoena witnesses and consult an expert before going to trial.

The judge reviewed the case's scheduling history and noted multiple prior settings: a jury trial originally set for Nov. 20, later recalled with a plea-deadline of Feb. 24, 2026, and then set again for jury trial on April 16, 2026 and June 16. After hearing from defense, the court ruled, "Motion for continuence is denied." The court then confirmed the jury would be called into the courtroom that morning.

The defense argued that proceeding without additional time would be "to the detriment" of the client; the court nonetheless declined to postpone the matter. No new trial date was set on the record at the time of the hearing. The case remains on the jury docket as scheduled and counsel were directed to prepare for the forthcoming proceedings.