Opinion ID: 1841912
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Price's Assertion of his Right to a Speedy Trial

Text: ¶ 16. The trial court ruled that Price had not affirmatively asserted his right to a speedy trial and, therefore, weighed this factor in favor of the State. A defendant has no duty to bring himself to trial. . . . Still he gains far more points under this prong . . . . when he has demanded a speedy trial. Jefferson v. State, 818 So.2d 1099, 1107-08 (Miss.2002)(quoting Brengettcy v. State, 794 So.2d 987, 994 (Miss.2001)). The trial court relied upon Jefferson for guidance and ruled that because Price filed a motion to dismiss for lack of a speedy trial and not a motion for a speedy trial, he did not properly assert his constitutional right. The trial court also concluded that at no time prior to Price's motion to dismiss had he affirmatively asserted his right to a speedy trial. From the time of Price's initial extradition from Texas to Mississippi in December 2000 through the return of the first indictment in April 2002, Price was represented by his current counsel Michael Adelman. Price contends that when he was indicted and arrested in April 2002, both he and counsel took the position that Price wanted an immediate trial at the next term of the Marion County Circuit Court which would have been in July 2002. However, because the April 2002 indictment was nol prossed on July 1, 2002, it is not part of the record before this Court. ¶ 17. In finding that the assertion of a speedy trial right weighed against Price, the trial court correctly relied upon Price's Acknowledgment by Defendant of Right to be Arraigned and Order Continuing and Pre-Setting Trial on May 13, 2003. The trial court noted that on May 13, 2003, Price freely, knowingly and voluntarily waived his right to a speedy trial and his right to be arraigned. Price argues just the opposite. Price considers the raw span of time that elapsed as justifiable grounds for a dismissal. While more than 600 days is presumptively prejudicial in light of controlling case law, both this Court and the Court of Appeals have refused to dismiss indictments in cases where much more time has elapsed. See Beckwith v. State, 707 So.2d 547 (Miss.1997); Moody v. State, 838 So.2d 324 (Miss.Ct.App.2002). Considering the entire record from a totality of the circumstances, we find no evidence that Price ever affirmatively asserted his right to a speedy trial prior to filing his motion to dismiss. Further, we note that Price waived his right to a speedy trial through his own motion for continuance and pre-setting trial. Because of this, the trial court was correct in weighing this factor in favor of the State.