Johnnie Acosta's case last week is an example of why there is a constant backlog in Humboldt Superior Court.

 

Johnnie Acosta's case last week is something that I would have just added to the previous post because it is a continuance and reshuffling of dates. 

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2025/04/johnnie-david-acostas-2025-arrest-for.html?m=1

But this has been happening a lot lately in Humboldt Superior Court and the majority of requests are ridiculous reasons two three times a week on cases in one week and it is mostly defense attorneys; and often public defenders.

The constant court backlog is made worse by repeat offenders and these numerous continuances, often for defendants with multiple cases and the short staffing then impacts court minutes, getting things on calendar, getting that discovery. For me, 10 cases a day become 30 cases and this is how it has been for weeks. It has been non stop for months and even though, there are updates, I am taking breaks this weekend and time off next week for me. Humboldt Superior Court has been this way for 11 years.

All these delays are avoidable by better organization, judges getting stricter about what is "good cause" and less of "local rules" which Humboldt administration likes to create in some power play. I could understand the ego if this was LA or San Francisco. Humboldt is one piddly court in a small rural County with no power. Pigs will fly before the California Judicial Council will actually do something and come up here and streamline operations. They are another wasteful bureaucratic California organization wasting state funds.

On 7/24, the defense motion to continue continued to 7/25 because the Public Defender's office thought the motion was calendared for the next day. On 7/25 defense motion to continue granted. How hard was it for Public Defender Luke Brownfield to argue the motion to continue on 7/24? Is it not in the defendant's file? Deputy Public Defender Wade Orbelian managed to do so on 7/25 for Deputy Public Defender Adrian Kamada. Isn't the reason for continuance for defense usually discovery, investigation, voluminous discovery, haven't met with the client. Any of those would suffice the loosey goosey granting of continuances in Humboldt Superior Court. 

The 7/28 date was vacated. Readiness Conference is scheduled for 9/10; jury trial on 9/22.

9/10/25: Readiness Conference continued to 9/16 by defense.

9/22/25: Defense continuance granted. Trial setting on 10/8. 

10/8/25: Readiness Conference scheduled for 1/14/26; jury trial on 1/26/26.