California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. McClinton, 240 Cal.Rptr.3d 775, 29 Cal.App.5th 738 (Cal. App. 2018):
A trial court has inherent authority to dismiss an SVPA petition for an unreasonable delay in getting the matter to trial. ( People v. Evans (2005) 132 Cal.App.4th 950, 956-957, 34 Cal.Rptr.3d 35.) We review the denial of such an order under for an abuse of discretion. ( Ibid . ) "Where a trial court has discretionary power to decide an issue, we are not authorized to substitute our judgment for that of the trial court. [Citation.] Reversible abuse exists only if there is no reasonable basis for the trial courts action, so that the trial courts decision exceeds the bounds of reason. [Citations.]" ( Sanchez v. City of Los Angeles (2003) 109 Cal.App.4th 1262, 1271, 135 Cal.Rptr.2d 869.) Generally, "we will not disturb the trial courts ruling except on a showing the trial court exercised its discretion in an arbitrary, capricious, or patently absurd manner that resulted in a manifest miscarriage of justice. [Citation.]" ( People v. Goldsmith (2014) 59 Cal.4th 258, 266, 172 Cal.Rptr.3d 637, 326 P.3d 239.)
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