# Multi-Reschedules on Traffic ticket court hearing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2021, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-reschedules-on-traffic-ticket-court-hearing/949504 "2021-08-25T14:40:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-reschedules-on-traffic-ticket-court-hearing/949504/1 "2021-08-25T14:40:43Z")
I got a speeding ticket in Texas in December 2019. My lawyer requested a court hearing / jury trial. The Court has been rescheduling the hearing/appearance date multiple times due to Covid. Each time the date is pushed back a few weeks; and now they have indicated that the hearing date is indeterminate. My lawyer is pretty good and keeps on top of all the changes. I am wondering if this is the norm elsewhere in the country, and how courts are dealing with piling up cases ? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-reschedules-on-traffic-ticket-court-hearing/949504/2 "2021-08-25T16:59:04Z")
My son got a speeding ticket in New York in March 2020, right before the pandemic. His hearing was rescheduled multiple times - it was scheduled for October 2021 and this week he received a notice that it was rescheduled for August 2022, this time via video ( the others were rescheduled to in-person hearings). I’m really wondering if this will be any speedy trial requirements as it will be nearly 2.5 years between the incident and the hearing. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-reschedules-on-traffic-ticket-court-hearing/949504/3 "2021-08-25T17:03:41Z")
I also got a traffic ticket in Texas. The lady who cut my hair was married to a lawyer, and he took my “case.” He requested a court hearing, said we needed time to prepare, then started rescheduling it. From what I remember, he said after two or three reschedulings, the judge just goes ahead and drops it. Now, this was back in the day, 40-45 years ago, so it may have changed. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-reschedules-on-traffic-ticket-court-hearing/949504/4 "2021-08-25T17:17:49Z")
> [@am77494](#): > > I am wondering if this is the norm elsewhere in the country, and how courts are dealing with piling up cases ? I don’t know about traffic cases, but regular cases are a scheduling nightmare. I have a pretty routine case in federal court in the Eastern District of Washington that has been re-set twice due to COVID, most recently moved from next month to March 2022. We also have a trial that was scheduled in Alaska state court that has been put off for over a year, with no firm date in sight. Trials in Seattle are progressing, often remotely (Zoom), but there are certainly delays. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-reschedules-on-traffic-ticket-court-hearing/949504/5 "2021-08-25T17:37:07Z")
Related: My Canadian work permit expired last March, and I’m now on my second temporary extension due to COVID-related delays on the paperwork. It doesn’t affect me too much, except that I can’t go back to visit family back in the US because if I leave the county it’s viewed as if I’ve abandoned my work permit renewal. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-reschedules-on-traffic-ticket-court-hearing/949504/6 "2021-08-26T10:01:38Z")
If you do wind up having the hearing remotely/virtually, don’t forget to turn off the kitty-face filter. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-reschedules-on-traffic-ticket-court-hearing/949504/7 "2021-08-26T18:59:53Z")
Time is kind of on your side in these things. Police turnover is high, here in North Carolina it’s around 14% annually. An officer who has retired or moved to another agency or gone into non-governmental work and is not available to testify works in your favor. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-reschedules-on-traffic-ticket-court-hearing/949504/8 "2021-08-26T22:06:57Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > If you do wind up having the hearing remotely/virtually, don’t forget to turn off the kitty-face filter. I can still legit LOL thinking about that one. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-reschedules-on-traffic-ticket-court-hearing/949504/9 "2021-08-27T04:03:07Z")
At what point does this violate the defendant’s right to a speedy trial? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2021, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-reschedules-on-traffic-ticket-court-hearing/949504/10 "2021-08-27T04:09:17Z")
Im guessing that the safety of court workers/participants will trump the 6th Amendment right of defendants who are also vulnerable to the Covid virus. Emergencies can trump constitutional rights. A draft is one example.