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Court: Defendants Entitled To Credit For Time Served Elsewhere

The state Court of Appeals has ruled criminal defendants are entitled to credit for the time they serve before being tried in another country, but there are stipulations. 

The time served in another country has to stem from the defendant’s Arizona case, according to the court.

It ruled on a man’s appeal for failing to appear for his Pima County sex abuse trial.  He was convicted in absentia.

David Cecena was in custody in Mexico for 10 1/2 months, before being extradited to Arizona in 2013, and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

His case now goes back to superior court, where a judge will have to determine if the time Cecena spent behind bars in Mexico, actually was the result of his Arizona case.

Dennis Lambert was a morning host at KJZZ.