§ 584 Postponement for cause.

If you're involved in a criminal case and need more time before trial, the court can push the trial date back. This can happen when the case is first called for trial, or even before that point. Either side, the prosecution or the defense, can ask for this delay.

To get a postponement, the party asking for it has to show the court a good reason. The rule says this works the same way it does in civil cases, meaning the same basic standards apply. If the judge agrees there's a valid reason, the trial gets moved to a later date. That new date can be later in the same court term or pushed into the next term.

This rule gives both sides a way to ask for more time when they genuinely need it, whether that's to gather evidence, secure a witness, or handle some other issue that would make going to trial right away unfair.