Opinion ID: 1711117
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Whether Brown was Denied a Speedy Trial

Text: ¶ 8. Brown's speedy trial claim could have been raised at trial and on direct appeal. The failure to do so waives the issue, and it is now procedurally barred from further consideration pursuant to Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-21-(1). Foster v. State, 687 So.2d 1124, 1129 (Miss.1996); Wiley v. State, 517 So.2d 1373, 1378 (Miss. 1987). Notwithstanding the procedural bar, the issue is without merit. Brown was arrested on August 11, 1992, and indicted for armed robbery on January 6, 1993. He was indicted for capital murder on June 21, 1993. Brown was arraigned on August 4, 1993, and the trial commenced on March 8, 1994. Miss.Code Ann. § 99-17-1 (1994) provides that a defendant shall be tried within 270 days following arraignment. Brown went to trial 216 days after his arraignment on the capital murder charge. There was no violation of Brown's statutory right to a speedy trial. ¶ 9. As for Brown's constitutional right to a speedy trial, the factors to be examined are: (1) the length of the delay; (2) the reason for the delay; (3) assertion of the right to a speedy trial; and, (4) prejudice to the defendant. Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 530, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972). None of these factors are dispositive but are to be considered together. Gray v. State, 728 So.2d 36, 48 (Miss.1998); Wiley v. State, 582 So.2d 1008, 1011 (Miss.1991). In the present case, 574 days passed between Brown's arrest and his trial. This delay is presumptively prejudicial. A significant portion of the delay, however, may be attributed to a series of defense motions filed between August 4, 1993, and February 28, 1994. Further, Brown never asserted his right to a speedy trial although he bears some responsibility for doing so. Taylor v. State, 672 So.2d 1246, 1261 (Miss.1996). This Court has held that a defendant's failure to assert his right to a speedy trial should be given strong evidentiary weight in weighing the Barker factors. Atterberry v. State, 667 So.2d 622, 627 (Miss.1995); Fleming v. State, 604 So.2d 280, 301 (Miss.1992). ¶ 10. The final consideration is the prejudice, if any, suffered by Brown as a result of the delay. Brown claims that if the armed robbery indictment were dismissed for failure to receive a speedy trial, then a conviction for capital murder would not be possible. Because proof of the armed robbery was an element of the capital murder charge, this assertion is unfounded. The right to a speedy trial is intended: (i) to prevent oppressive pretrial incarceration; (ii) to minimize anxiety and concern of the accused; and (iii) to limit the possibility that the defense will be impaired. Barker, 407 U.S. at 532, 92 S.Ct. 2182 (footnote omitted). Brown does not claim that the pretrial incarceration was excessive or that he suffered anxiety or concern. Brown does not claim that his defense at trial suffered due to the passage of time. The record shows that defense counsel was appointed seven months before trial and that there is no assertion that any potential defense witness was unavailable due to the delay. This issue is without merit.