Opinion ID: 1690067
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: whether sharp's motion to dismiss for failure to have a speedy trial should have been sustained.

Text: ¶ 4. A defendant in a criminal case has a right to a speedy trial, guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and by Article 3, § 26 of the Mississippi Constitution. Humphrey v. State, 759 So.2d 368, 375 (Miss.2000). In addition, Miss.Code Ann. § 99-17-1 (2000) creates a statutory right to a speedy trial. Although Sharp's brief only alleges a violation of his statutory right (the 270-day rule), the original motion from which this appeal arises argued that all aspects of Sharp's speedy trial right had been violated. Therefore, it is appropriate that the issue be examined from both legal standpoints. Thus, Sharp's case must be tested under both the 270-day rule and the four-factor balancing test as laid out by the U.S. Supreme Court in Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 530, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 2192, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972). Handley v. State, 574 So.2d 671, 674 (Miss.1990). Alleged speedy trial violations are examined and determined on a case-by-case basis due to the factual specifics of each action. McGhee v. State, 657 So.2d 799, 802 (Miss. 1995). We are mindful indeed that no one factor is dispositive of the question. Nor is the balancing process restricted to the Barker factors to the exclusion of any other relevant circumstances. Id. Another factor necessitating a dual examination is that merely because a particular factual situation complies with the 270-day rule does not necessarily mean that the constitutional requirement has been met. Flores v. State, 574 So.2d 1314, 1321 (Miss. 1990).