Court dates keep getting continued for reasons ranging from attorney conflicts to lab backlogs. Learn why it happens and what families can do to stay informed.
Court dates being pushed back — sometimes again and again — is one of the most disorienting parts of the criminal justice process for families on the outside. You clear your schedule, arrange childcare, maybe take time off work, and then get a call or find out some other way that the hearing has been moved. This article breaks down the real reasons continuances happen, who can request them, and what concrete steps families can take to stay informed and protect their relationships with loved ones through the delay.
1. What a Continuance Actually Is
A continuance is a formal postponement of a scheduled court hearing. A judge grants it — either on request from one of the attorneys or, less often, on the court's own initiative. The term sounds bureaucratic, but it has a real human cost for families who have made plans around a specific date.
Continuances happen at every stage of a criminal case. They occur at arraignments, preliminary hearings, pretrial conferences, and trial itself. Each stage has its own reasons a postponement might be granted, and the standards judges apply differ depending on how far along the case has progressed.
Most states give courts wide discretion to grant continuances when there is "good cause." What counts as good cause is intentionally broad, which is part of why the same case can be continued multiple times without any single party doing anything wrong.
2. Attorney Scheduling Conflicts
One of the most common reasons a court date gets pushed is that one of the attorneys — defense, prosecution, or both — has a scheduling conflict. Criminal courts run dockets with dozens of cases, and attorneys often handle multiple matters simultaneously across different courtrooms.
When a public defender or a private attorney has another hearing, trial, or deposition on the same day, a continuance is often the practical solution. Judges typically accommodate these requests because the alternative — forcing an underprepared attorney into court — creates appellate risk and wastes everyone's time.
This is particularly common in jurisdictions where public defenders carry case loads far above recommended guidelines. A public defender managing a heavy caseload cannot always predict which cases will resolve quickly and which will drag on, which means scheduling collisions happen regularly.
For families, this type of continuance can feel especially frustrating because it has nothing to do with the facts of the case. The best response is to confirm the new date in writing and ask the attorney's office to send an automated reminder closer to the hearing.
3. Discovery Is Incomplete
Before a criminal case can proceed to trial — and often before meaningful plea negotiations begin — both sides need access to the same evidence. Prosecutors are required to turn over discovery materials: police reports, witness statements, surveillance footage, lab results, and more.
When that material is late, voluminous, or still being processed, the defense often needs more time to review it before the next hearing makes sense. Requesting a continuance to allow adequate review is a fundamental part of building a fair defense, not a stalling tactic.
Lab results are a frequent culprit. Forensic labs in many jurisdictions are significantly backlogged. A toxicology result or DNA comparison that should take weeks can take months when the lab is understaffed. Neither attorney can move forward responsibly until those results are in hand.
Electronic evidence has made this problem worse over the past decade. Cell phone extractions, cloud-storage records, and video footage from multiple sources can generate thousands of files that take real time to process and analyze. Judges understand this, which is why discovery-related continuances are almost always granted.
4. Plea Negotiations Are Ongoing
A significant share of criminal cases resolve through plea agreements rather than trial. When negotiation between the defense and the prosecution is productive, both sides often want more time to finalize terms rather than appear in court before a deal is ready.
Judges generally support this. A plea agreement saves court resources and, in many cases, produces a resolution that all parties can live with. Granting a short continuance to allow negotiations to conclude is considered a reasonable use of judicial discretion.
From a family's perspective, a continuance that is happening because of plea talks can actually be a hopeful sign — it may mean the case is moving toward resolution rather than a lengthy trial. The challenge is that attorneys are not always free to share the details of those negotiations with family members, which leaves loved ones on the outside in the dark.
The thing families can do here is ask the attorney directly: "Is this continuance related to a potential resolution?" Even a general answer helps families calibrate their expectations and stress levels while they wait.
5. The Defendant Requested More Time
The defendant has constitutional rights that include the right to participate meaningfully in their own defense. If a defendant wants to change attorneys, fire their attorney, or request a different public defender, the case will be continued while those transitions are worked out.
Defendants also sometimes request continuances to pursue additional evidence or witnesses on their behalf. When those requests are made in good faith, courts typically grant them — particularly early in the case when the constitutional stakes of an unfair trial are highest.
There are also situations where a defendant is evaluating a plea offer and needs time to think it through with family or an outside advisor. Courts routinely accommodate this, recognizing that a decision about pleading guilty or going to trial is one of the most consequential decisions a person can make.
6. The Court Itself Is Backed Up
Courts in many jurisdictions are operating with significant backlogs. Pandemic-era delays pushed thousands of cases back across the country, and some courts are still catching up. Judges retire or move to other assignments, and their replacements need time to get up to speed on active cases.
When a courtroom has too many trials scheduled in the same week, one of them has to move. The case that gets bumped is not necessarily less important — it may simply be lower on the priority list based on factors like the length of time the defendant has been in custody and the seriousness of the charges.
Budget cuts also contribute. Fewer clerks, fewer courtrooms in active use, and fewer judges all slow down the pace of justice. These structural factors are outside anyone's individual control, but they directly affect the families waiting for answers.
8. Mental Competency Evaluations Are Pending
Before a criminal case can proceed, a court must be satisfied that the defendant is mentally competent to stand trial — meaning they understand the charges against them and can assist in their own defense. When competency is raised as an issue, the case is paused while a formal evaluation takes place.
Mental competency evaluations take time. The defendant may be sent to a state hospital or evaluated by a court-appointed psychiatrist. Waiting lists for these evaluations can stretch for weeks or months in many states, and the resulting continuances are entirely out of the hands of either attorney.
For families, this type of continuance can feel especially distressing because it often comes with limited information. The best approach is to ask the attorney what the evaluation process looks like and what the likely timeline is. Understanding the sequence of events reduces anxiety even when the timeline itself cannot be shortened.
9. How Families Can Track Court Dates Proactively
This is the practical heart of what addressing the question "Why Court Dates Keep Getting Continued — and What You Can Do" actually looks like. Families need systems, not just goodwill, to stay informed when court dates keep shifting.
The most reliable source of court date information is the clerk of the court where the case is pending. Most clerks' offices have publicly accessible online case management systems where scheduled hearings are posted. These systems are updated when hearings are rescheduled, though the timing of those updates varies by jurisdiction.
Calling the attorney's office to confirm the date the week before a hearing is a simple, underrated strategy. Attorneys and their staff are accustomed to these calls and a brief check-in gives families confidence that the date is still on the calendar.
Services that offer court date alerts — like those available through InMato+ — send families automated notifications when a court date changes for a loved one in custody. At $19.99 per month with cancel-anytime self-service cancellation, InMato+ includes court date alerts alongside booking-watch alerts, release and transfer alerts, and real-time case tracking with court-document summaries.
10. What Families Can Do in the Meantime
Continuances are disruptive, but the waiting period does not have to be passive. Staying connected with a loved one in custody during delays is both emotionally important and practically useful. Regular contact helps a defendant stay engaged in their case and communicate concerns to their attorney.
Understanding how to find someone in jail — including which facility they are currently housed at — is a necessary first step. Transfers between facilities sometimes happen without family notification, which is why county jail inmate search tools are valuable. Knowing where a loved one is held ensures that communication attempts, letters, and money for commissary actually reach them.
Speaking of commissary, knowing how to send money to someone in jail correctly matters. Only official, licensed providers are authorized to process jail commissary deposits at most facilities. Using unofficial lookalike sites risks losing the money or having it rejected. InMato is an information, search, and referral service that connects families only with the official licensed provider for each specific facility — it never processes the deposit itself, and it never touches user money.
Families who use the InMato app to run a county jail inmate search or find a loved one in jail free can see which facility their loved one is in and get step-by-step deposit instructions pointing to the official provider. That clarity matters enormously when everything else feels uncertain.
12. When to Ask the Judge Directly
In some situations, a family member who has standing in the case — typically as a victim, but occasionally as a third party with documented interest — can submit a written statement to the court. This is not available to most families of defendants, but it is worth knowing.
For defendants themselves, there is a right to petition the court if continuances are causing harm. A defendant who remains in custody while their case is repeatedly delayed can raise a constitutional speedy trial claim. The standards for these claims vary by state, but they are a real legal remedy for cases that have dragged on too long.
Defense attorneys can object to continuances they believe are being sought in bad faith by the prosecution or are causing prejudice to their client. If a family believes continuances are stacking up without good reason, the most effective action is raising that concern directly and specifically with the attorney.
13. Preparing for the Day the Date Finally Arrives
Once a date appears to be stable, families can prepare in ways that make the hearing itself less stressful. Arriving early matters. Courts often call cases out of order or move them up if earlier cases resolve quickly. Being in the courtroom before the session begins gives families the best chance of being present for the hearing.
Bringing identification is essential. Courthouses often require it for entry, and observers who cannot verify their identity may be turned away. Knowing the courtroom number and the name of the judge in advance saves time on the day.
Families should manage their expectations about what will happen at any given hearing. Many hearings last only a few minutes and result in another future date being set rather than a resolution. That can feel anticlimactic, but it is normal — criminal cases move in stages, and each appearance is a step, not always a conclusion.
14. The Emotional Toll of Repeated Delays
Living through repeated court continuances takes a real emotional toll. Each new date carries hope, and each postponement restarts a cycle of waiting and uncertainty. Acknowledging that this is genuinely hard — not just logistically but emotionally — is important for families trying to sustain themselves through a long process.
Connecting with others in similar situations can help. Support groups for families of incarcerated individuals exist in many communities and online. Hearing that others have navigated the same pattern of delays can reduce the feeling of isolation that so often accompanies this experience.
InMato's Family Support Library offers 50 free guides covering topics from finding a loved one in the first 24 hours to navigating the weeks and months that follow. These resources are available in English and Spanish, recognizing that language access should never be a barrier to getting help when a family member is in the system.
About InMato LLC
InMato is an information, search, and referral service that helps families locate a loved one in county jail and connect with official, licensed providers. Founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry with a founding principle: treat families with dignity and never profit from their fear. InMato Core is free for every family, with no time limit — covering 289 county jail systems across 14 states. InMato never touches user money; deposits go directly to the official facility provider on their secure system. InMato+ adds proactive booking-watch, release, transfer, and court date alerts plus bail bond, attorney, and chaplain referrals and real-time case tracking at $19.99/month per loved one, cancel anytime. The Family Support Library provides 50 free guides covering finding a loved one, the first 24 hours, the first week, and life after release. Available in English and Spanish. InMato LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California.
Get Started with InMato LLC
Search for your loved one now at inmato.com — free for every family, with no time limit. Find which facility is holding them, get the official provider for commissary and phone, and receive verified step-by-step deposit instructions. No account required to search. Available in English and Spanish. Alerts and case tracking available through InMato+ in 48 hours after signup.
Originally published at https://www.inmato.com/blog/why-court-dates-keep-getting-continued-and-what-you-can-do
Written by InMato
Looking for someone right now?
Search names for free in participating county jails. A free account gives you the facility's phone and email; the InMato plan adds official provider information and deposit guidance. Payments go directly to the provider.