Criminology Term: Continuance
A continuance is a legal term that means putting off or delaying a court proceeding or trial to a later date. This happens when a party involved in a case requests more time to prepare or when something unforeseen comes up.
Basically, it's like hitting the snooze button on the morning alarm, except instead of getting more sleep, we're getting more time to gather evidence or recover from a hurricane.
There are tons of reasons why someone might ask for a continuance. For example, a defendant might need more time to prepare their defense or find new evidence. Or a prosecutor might need more time to gather evidence or because their star witness is stuck in traffic.
And sometimes, the court might grant a continuance because of something totally out of everyone's control, like a global pandemic or an alien invasion.
Continuances can cause delays, which can be a major headache for everyone involved. Plus, they can cost a lot of money in legal fees and other expenses. And just because we ask for a continuance doesn't mean we're going to get it.
The judge will consider a bunch of factors, like why you need more time, how it might affect the other parties involved, and how long you want to delay the proceeding.
