The ruling is also expected to benefit another 300 criminal defendants in Riverside County whose dismissals for the same reason also were being appealed by the prosecution, the Los Angeles Times reports. Prosecutors say the court should have made juvenile, family law and probate judges available to hear these criminal cases.
"The courts are just overwhelmed by both the exponential growth in population and by some extent to the district attorney's charging policy," Deputy Public Defender William Meronek tells the newspaper. "They tend to pursue everything, and they are reluctant to plea bargain or negotiate any settlement."