Opinion ID: 474122
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Delay/Speedy Trial.

Text: 16 Appellant Pine contends that his statutory and constitutional rights to a speedy trial were violated. He first argues that he was not indicted within thirty days of his arrest, as required by the Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3161(b). 2 Pine was the subject of a joint state and federal investigation. He contends that even though he was arrested by state officials and was charged with a state offense, his federal speedy trial clock began to run in mid-July of 1983 when the federal government took control of the case. The government contends that Pine's speedy trial clock began to run with his federal arrest on October 24, 1983. Pine was indicted on federal charges on November 16, 1983. 17 Pine's argument is a slightly modified version of the argument made in United States v. Iaquinta, 674 F.2d 260, 264 (4th Cir.1982), a case cited with favor by this court in United States v. Shahryar, 719 F.2d 1522, 1524 (11th Cir.1983). In Iaquinta, the defendant argued, and the district court agreed, that substantial federal involvement in the defendant's state investigation and state arrest was sufficient to start the speedy trial clock. Iaquinta, 674 F.2d at 263. The Fourth Circuit disagreed and reversed the district court's dismissal of the indictments. Id. at 269. The court began its analysis by noting that [s]ince the Act applies only to federal prosecutions it is only a federal arrest, not a state arrest, which will trigger the commencement of the time limits set in the Act. Id. at 264 (emphasis in original). The court then determined, after discussing several similar cases reaching the same conclusion, that even substantial or extensive federal involvement in the state investigation and arrest is not enough to start the speedy trial clock. Id. at 267-68. 18 Pine contends that the government had in effect taken over the state investigation in mid-July of 1983 and that the state had lost all interest in his case. He therefore contends that he was being held by state authorities to answer federal charges. We cannot agree. Although the government may have been extensively involved in the ongoing investigation of Pine's case, Pine was being held to answer state charges up to the time that those charges were dismissed. He was at no time in custody to answer federal charges or under federal arrest until October 24, 1983, when the state charges were dismissed and he was immediately arrested on federal charges. Since he was indicted less than thirty days later, there was no violation of the Speedy Trial Act. 19 Pine next argues that his fifth amendment right to due process of law was violated by the government's delay in indicting him. Pine contends that his state prosecution was kept alive long after the state had lost interest merely for the purpose of allowing the government to take advantage of more liberal state discovery rules. He therefore concludes that his federal arrest and indictment were intentionally delayed by the government in order to gain a tactical advantage over him. 20 In order to prevail on this claim, Pine must show that his right to a fair trial was substantially prejudiced and that the government intentionally delayed his arrest and indictment in order to gain a tactical advantage over him. United States v. Weinstein, 762 F.2d 1522, 1542 (11th Cir.), modified, 778 F.2d 673 (1985), cert. denied, --- U.S. ---, 106 S.Ct. 1519, 89 L.Ed.2d 917 (1986); see also United States v. Gouveia, 467 U.S. 180, 192, 104 S.Ct. 2292, 2300, 81 L.Ed.2d 146 (1984); United States v. Lovasco, 431 U.S. 783, 789-90, 97 S.Ct. 2044, 2048-49, 52 L.Ed.2d 752 (1977). As we have observed, 'this standard is an exceedingly high one....'  Weinstein, 762 F.2d at 1542 (quoting Tiemens v. United States, 724 F.2d 928, 929 (11th Cir.1984)). 21 For the most part, Pine presents only general allegations of prejudice in the form of lost witnesses and evidence. Such general allegations are not sufficient to constitute proof of substantial prejudice. See United States v. Warren, 772 F.2d 827, 836 (11th Cir.1985), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 106 S.Ct. 1214, 89 L.Ed.2d 326 (1986). For specific examples of prejudice Pine points to the fact that many government witnesses remembered that a Joseph (or Jose) Pine had taken part in various drug ventures but were unable to identify him in the courtroom. He contends that as a result of the inability of these witnesses to identify him, he was unable to effectively cross-examine regarding these drug ventures. We cannot see how Pine could have been prejudiced by the inability of government witnesses to identify him. Pine also has presented no evidence supporting his theory that the government intentionally extended his state prosecution long after the state had lost interest merely to take advantage of more liberal state discovery rules. 22 Finally, Pine contends that the delay between his arrest and the commencement of his trial on August 15, 1984 violated his sixth amendment speedy trial right. Sixth amendment speedy trial right claims are evaluated under the balancing test set out in Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 530, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 2191, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972), as follows:A balancing test necessarily compels courts to approach speedy trial cases on an ad hoc basis. We can do little more than identify some of the factors which courts should assess in determining whether a particular defendant has been deprived of his right. Though some might express them in different ways, we identify four such factors: Length of delay, the reason for the delay, the defendant's assertion of his right, and prejudice to the defendant. 23 (Footnote omitted.) The length of delay was ten months from the time of Pine's arrest. In light of the fact that numerous defendants were involved in this case, and that numerous pretrial motions and requests for extension of time were filed by the defendants, we do not view this delay as unreasonable. When we note in addition that Pine has not proved any real prejudice resulting from the delay, we conclude that Pine's sixth amendment speedy trial right was not violated. 24 In summary, we find no merit in Pine's various speedy trial claims resulting from alleged preindictment and pretrial delay. 25