I know I can't be the only one to be scratching my head at the thought of a 6 month murder trial! How can California run their courts like this? They just took a week long break before the Defense starts its case. Just plain crazy!

Why does it take so long to try a case in California? Do they just work half days?

I think they have to file an environmental impact statement, which must be carefully considered on the record, for every witness called, every exhibit of evidence offered and every page of pleadings or motions filed.

Plus they got to spend all that time figuring how to work the media, collecting notes for their books, etc, etc, etc,

You know, as a defense attorney, I've been scratching my head also. I have had some long crossexaminations before, but not too long. I read on MSN or somewhere that the prosecution had 170+ witnesses. Geez, I've never been involved in a case where the prosecutor could not wrap it up in one week (of course, I've done no capital cases, and our usual Judge makes us work well into the evening). I'm hoping that about 150 of the prosecutors witnesses were just shoring up the chain of custody, seeing that NO eye witnesses came forward. WOW, can't wait to get the jury's verdict in this one.

Isn't the Blake trial going now also?

I once asked a prosecutor from San Francisco how long it takes to try a plain-jane, run-of-the-mill burglary in California.

She said, "about 2 weeks."

That is too funny about the EIS's!

I was told by the DA from Sacramento, CA that all of her asst. DA's were union members. That might explain some of the delay. You know, "I don't do that, it is not in my job description."