Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Re: court hearings

It depends on the reasons for continuances and whether or not the defendant objects or continues to waive time.

If the judge allows the case to go on, there can be several court appearances set and a case can take a year (sometimes longer in complex fraud cases or capital murder).

If the defendant doesn't waive time or withdraws any time waiver, then there are certain statutory times that have to be adhered to or the case must be dismissed. It depends on what stage of the case you're in and whether it's a felony or a misdemeanor.