The Shasta County District Attorney’s Office is fighting to keep some cases from being dropped due to a shortage of superior court judges. The crisis is affecting courts throughout California, and emerges if a defendant does not waive their right to a speedy trial. A defendant named Michael Johnson was charged with possession for sale and transportation of drugs after a traffic stop by Anderson Police. The case against him was dismissed in July and refiled. In August he waived his preliminary hearing and the case had to be heard by October 21st but it timed out because no judge was available and it’s now been terminally dismissed and can’t be refiled. That also could happen for Gregory Wise, who has been waiting for his trial on an alleged robbery of the Umpqua Bank on Churn Creek Road in November of last year. He’s also accused of bank hold-ups in Red Bluff and Chico. He was arrested after a bounty of physical evidence was reportedly found at his Redding home. The case timed out last week and was refiled. He’s set for a preliminary hearing Thursday. Another case in danger of being lost for the same reason is Ang Souvannaphong, accused of recklessly causing a fire in March of last year.
-Steve Gibson