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ubllc prosecuLor accused eLlLloner AnLonlo Cabador wlLh murder and ln consplracy wlLh oLhers, ALLy. !un n. valerlo.
AfLer presenLlng only 3 wlLnesses over 3 years of lnLermlLLenL Lrlal, Lhe 81C requlred Lhe prosecuLlon Lo make a
wrlLLen or formal offer of lLs documenLary evldence wlLhln 13 days from noLlce. 8uL Lhe publlc prosecuLor asked for
Lhree exLenslons of Llme buL sLlll, dld noL make Lhe requlred wrlLLen offer.

Cabador flled a moLlon Lo dlsmlss Lhe case,

complalnlng of a LurLle-paced proceedlng and furLher clalmed LhaL ln Lhe
clrcumsLances, Lhe Lrlal courL could noL conslder any evldence agalnsL hlm LhaL had noL been formally offered.
unknown Lo peLlLloner Cabador, however, four days earller, prosecuLlon asked for anoLher exLenslon of Lhe perlod for
lLs formal offer, Lhe day Cabador flled hls moLlon Lo dlsmlss.

81C lssued an Crder LreaLed peLlLloner Cabador's moLlon Lo dlsmlss as a 01234414 56 178019:1; And, slnce he flled hls
moLlon wlLhouL leave of courL, Lhe 81C declared hlm Lo have walved hls rlghL Lo presenL evldence ln hls defense.

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W/n Cabador's moLlon Lo dlsmlss before Lhe Lrlal courL was ln facL a demurrer Lo evldence flled wlLhouL leave of
courL, wlLh Lhe resulL LhaL he effecLlvely walved hls rlghL Lo presenL evldence ln hls defense and submlLLed Lhe case
for declslon lnsofar as he was concerned?

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eLlLloner Cabador flled a moLlon Lo dlsmlss on Lhe ground of vlolaLlon of hls rlghL Lo speedy Lrlal, noL a demurrer Lo
evldence. Pe cannoL be declared Lo have walved hls rlghL Lo presenL evldence ln hls defense.

8ecause some have ln Lhe pasL used Lhe demurrer ln order Lo delay Lhe proceedlngs ln Lhe case, Lhe remedy now
carrles a caveaL. When Lhe accused flles a demurrer !"#$%&# ()*+) %, -%&.#, he shall be deemed Lo have walved Lhe
rlghL Lo presenL evldence and Lhe case shall be consldered submlLLed for [udgmenL.
11
Cn occaslons, Lhls presenLs a
problem such as when, llke Lhe slLuaLlon ln Lhls case, Lhe accused flles a moLlon Lo dlsmlss LhaL, Lo Lhe 81C, had Lhe
appearance of a demurrer Lo evldence. Cabador lnslsLs LhaL lL ls noL one buL Lhe CA, llke Lhe lower courL, ruled LhaL lL
ls.

1he gaps beLween proceedlngs were long, wlLh hearlngs ofLen posLponed because of Lhe prosecuLor's absence. 1he
maln LhrusL of Cabador's moLlon Lo dlsmlss ls LhaL a moLlon Lo dlsmlss may be flled on Lhe ground of denlal of Lhe
accused's rlghL Lo speedy Lrlal. 1he facL ls LhaL Cabador dld noL even boLher Lo do whaL ls so fundamenLal ln any
demurrer. Pe dld noL sLaLe whaL evldence Lhe prosecuLlon had presenLed agalnsL hlm Lo show ln whaL respecLs such
evldence falled Lo meeL Lhe elemenLs of Lhe crlme charged. Pls so-called demurrer" dld noL Louch on any parLlcular
LesLlmony of even one wlLness. Pe clLed no documenLary exhlblL. lndeed, he could noL because, he dld noL know LhaL
Lhe prosecuLlon flnally made lLs formal offer of exhlblLs on Lhe same daLe he flled hls moLlon Lo dlsmlss.

1o say LhaL
Cabador flled a demurrer Lo evldence ls equlvalenL Lo Lhe proverblal bllnd man, Louchlng Lhe slde of an elephanL, and
exclalmlng LhaL he had Louched a wall.

ln Lhe case, afLer Lhe prosecuLlon flled lLs formal offer of exhlblLs on AugusL 1, 2006, Lhe same day Cabador flled hls
moLlon Lo dlsmlss, Lhe Lrlal courL sLlll needed Lo glve hlm an opporLunlLy Lo ob[ecL Lo Lhe admlsslon of Lhose exhlblLs.
lL also needed Lo rule on Lhe formal offer. And only afLer such a rullng could Lhe prosecuLlon be deemed Lo have
resLed lLs case. Slnce Cabador flled hls moLlon Lo dlsmlss before he could ob[ecL Lo Lhe prosecuLlon's formal offer,
before Lhe Lrlal courL could acL on Lhe offer, and before Lhe prosecuLlon could resL lLs case, lL could noL be sald LhaL he
had lnLended hls moLlon Lo dlsmlss Lo serve as a demurrer Lo evldence.