Motion practice

• Pages: 443-490
• Author: Thomas J. Farrell,Brandon D. Minde

MOTION PRACTICE

15-1

CHAPTER 15

MOTION PRACTICE

I. GENERAL POINTS

§15:01 Pre-Trial Motions

§15:02 Motion Procedures

§15:03 Deciding Whether to Forego Motions

II. STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

§15:10 Generally Five Years for Felonies

§15:11 Measuring the Limitations Period

§15:12 Raising the Issue of the Limitations Period

III. FAILURE TO STATE AN OFFENSE

§15:20 Indictment Must Allege Every Necessary Element

§15:21 Defect Can Be Raised at Any Time

§15:22 Gun Cases

IV. MULTIPLICITY AND DUPLICITY

§15:30 Duplicity

§15:31 Multiplicity

V. SPEEDY TRIAL VIOLATIONS

§15:40 The Speedy Trial Guarantee

§15:41 Evaluating Whether to Waive Speedy Trial Protections

VI. SEVERANCE AND MISJOINDER

§15:50 General Points

§15:51 Multiple Charges Against a Single Defendant

§15:52 Multiple Defendants and Evidence Issues

§15:53 Multiple Defendants and Guilt by Association

§15:54 Multiple Defendants and Antagonistic Defenses

§15:55 The Quality of Co-Counsel

VII. PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT

§15:60 Types of Misconduct

§15:61 Motions to Dismiss for Prosecutorial Misconduct

MOTION PRACTICE

Criminal Defense Tools and Techniques 15-2

VIII. CHANGE OF VENUE

§15:70 Due Process Requirements

§15:71 Providing a Sufficient Factual Basis

§15:72 Benefits of the Motion

IX. DOUBLE JEOPARDY

§15:80 When Double Jeopardy Attaches

X. EXPERT TESTIMONY

§15:90 Challenging Expert Testimony

XI. RECUSAL

§15:100 Grounds for Recusal of Trial Judge

XII. FORMS

Form 15-1 Motion to Dismiss on Statute of Limitations

Form 15-2 Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State an Offense, Duplicity

Form 15-3 Duplicity Motion

Form 15-4 Motion to Sever

Form 15-5 Motion to Dismiss, to Gag, and for Change of Venue

Form 15-6 Motion to Dismiss for Improper Grand Jury Presentation

Form 15-7 Motion for Continuance

MOTION PRACTICE

15-3 Motion Practice §15:02

I. GENERAL POINTS

§15:01 Pre-Trial Motions

Pre-trial motions can include motions regarding:

• Suppressionofphysicalevidence,statementsandidenticationtestimony.[See Chapter 7, Search & Seizure;

Chapter8,Interrogations,ConfessionsandOtherStatements;andChapter9,IdenticationProcedures.]

• Discovery.[SeeChapter14,Discovery.]

• BillofParticulars.[SeeChapter14,Discovery.]

• DismissalforFailuretoStateanOense.[See§15:20.]

• DismissalforMultiplicityorDuplicity.[See§§15:30&31.]

• DismissalforViolationsoftheStatuteofLimitations.[See§15:10.]

• DismissalforSpeedyTrialViolations.[See§15:40.]

• Severanceofcountsanddefendants.[See§15:50.]

• ChangeofVenue.[See§15:70.]

• RecusalofTrialJudge.[See§15:100.]

• DoubleJeopardy.[See§15:80.]

• ChallengestoExpertTestimony.[See§15:90.]

You may also make a motion in limine for a pre-trial determination of evidentiary issues you expect will arise

attrial.Suchmotionsarebetterleftshortlybeforetrialwhentheissuesarefocused.[SeeChapter20,Trial.].This

isoftenledasanOmnibusMotionforPretrialIssues.

§15:02 Motion Procedures

Jurisdictions, and sometimes even judges within the same courthouse, vary in the mechanics of how motions

areled,heardanddecided.

Thepracticeinmostfederaljurisdictionsisforthemovanttoleawrittenmotionwithasupportingmemo-

randumoflaw.Localrulesorajudge’sstandingordermaydictatethetimeforaresponse.Ifthemotionresultsin

ahearingorargument,youmayaskfortimetobrieftheissuefurtherafterthehearing.

Insomecourts,movantsproceedbyservingandlinga“noticeofmotion”advisingtheotherpartythatthe

movantwillpresenta motionforthespecied reliefonthedate setinthemotion. Themovantobtainsthe date

eitherfromthecourt’sestablishedmotioncalendar(inwhichcase youmustcountbackwardstoensurethatyou

serveandlethenoticesucientlyinadvancetoprovidethe requirednotice)orbycontactingtheclerk’soce

orchambersandobtainingareturndatefromthecourt’sclerk.

Insomejurisdictions,thepracticemaybetoserveallpapersontheopponent,buttoleandpresentthemotion

alongwithsupportingadavits,ifneeded,andmemorandumoflaw,forthersttimeatthehearingorargument.

Inotherjurisdictions,youmustattachandlethosedocumentswiththenoticeofmotion.

Manyoftheserulesdonotappearanywhereinwriting,andyoumusteithercontactlocalpractitioners(public

defendersorformerassistantdistrictattorneysaregoodsources)orcalltheclerktodiscernthecorrectprocedure.

In the federal system, Rule 12 provides guidance on pretrial motions, including identifying motions that must

bemadebeforetrial,settingdeadlines,andrulingonamotion.[E.g.,Fed.R.Crim.P.12.]Thefederalcourtlocal

rulesmayalsoaddress additionalrequirementsformotions. Statecourtswillhave theirownrulesaddressing

ling.[E.g.,N.J.CourtRule3:9-1(c)(atthetimeofarraignmentthecourtwillalsosetadateforlingandhearing

pretrialmotions).]

Make motions in writing whenever possible, even mid-trial, to assure that you articulate and preserve all

relevantlegalarguments.Checkthatthemotionisledintherecord;sometimeshandingawrittenmotiontothe

judgeorhisclerk,especially ifdoneinano-the-record in-chambersconference,willnotguaranteethat itgets

led.Ifthemotionisnotledintherecordorarticulatedandtranscribedbyacourtreporter,yourmotiondoesnot

existforappellatereview.Withtheprevalenceofelectronicling,onecanbeassuredthatmotionsarepreserved

forappealuponlingonthedocket.

Evenwherethetimetolepretrialmotionsissetbyeitherrule,statute,orcourt order,counselmayneedto

leamotionforanextensionoftimetolepretrialmotions.[E.g.,Fed.R.Crim.P.45.]Thismayberequiredin

caseswherediscoveryisnotcompletebythetimesetforpretrialmotionsoranewissuearisesafterwards.