Opinion ID: 1096680
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Federal Speedy Trial.

Text: ¶ 23. In looking at a person's federal rights to a speedy trial, this Court has adopted the four-part test set forth in Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972). See Brengettcy v. State, 794 So.2d 987, 992 (Miss. 2001). The four factors of the test include: (1) the length of the delay; (2) the reason for the delay; (3) the defendant's assertion of his right; and (4) the prejudice to the defendant. Barker, 407 U.S. at 530, 92 S.Ct. at 2182; Brengettcy, 794 So.2d at 992. No one factor is dispositive, and the balancing test is not restricted to the Barker factors, so other factors may be considered. Poole v. State, 826 So.2d 1222, 1228-29 (¶ 18) (Miss.2002). The first factor is the length of delay from the time of arrest. Simmons v. State, 678 So.2d 683, 686 (Miss.1996); Smith v. State, 550 So.2d 406, 408 (Miss.1989). Ginn was arrested on April 14, 2001, and by the time she was tried on August 21, 2002, a total of more than sixteen months had passed. We have previously recognized that a delay of eight months or more is presumptively prejudicial. Id. at 408. Therefore, we must look to the other factors. ¶ 24. The second factor is the reason for the delay. Six months of the inaction was due to the processing of the evidence by the Mississippi Crime Lab. Because the policy of funding is determined by the Mississippi Legislature, the trial judge correctly determined that the reason for the delay is not to be held against [the State] in a strong fashion. ¶ 25. The third factor to be considered is the defendant's assertion of the right. Ginn did not file a written request for a speedy trial until April 8, 2002, almost twelve months after her arrest, roughly two and one-half months after the indictment was filed, and roughly one and onehalf months after entry of her not guilty plea. Nine days later, Ginn filed a Motion to Dismiss For Failure to Provide the Defendant With a Federal and State Constitutional Speedy Trial. The motion was denied on May 29, 2002. The trial judge correctly assessed this factor against Ginn. ¶ 26. The final factor is prejudice against the defendant. We have held: [W]hen the length of delay is presumptively prejudicial, the burden of persuasion is on the state to show that the delay did not prejudice the defendant. State v. Ferguson, 576 So.2d 1252, 1254 (Miss.1991). Nevertheless, if the defendant fails to show actual prejudice to his defense, this prong of the Barker balancing test cannot weigh heavily in his favor. Polk v. State, 612 So.2d 381, 387 (Miss.1992). De La Beckwith v. State, 707 So.2d at 567 (¶ 65) (finding twenty-six year delay between second mistrial and return of second indictment was not a violation of defendant's rights). [P]rejudice to the defendant may manifest itself in two ways. First, the defendant may suffer because of the restraints to his liberty, whether it be the loss of his physical freedom, loss of a job, loss of friends or family, damage to his reputation, or anxiety. Second, the delay may actually impair the accused's ability to defend himself. Stevens v. State, 808 So.2d 908, 917 (¶ 24) (Miss.2002) (citing Duplantis v. State, 708 So.2d 1327, 1336 (Miss.1998)). ¶ 27. Although Ginn testified that she experienced worry and anxiety in anticipation of the trial, the record cites no pretrial incarceration or statement of prejudice. The trial court noted that anxiety is experienced by every defendant in a criminal case and that Ginn did not experience any extraordinary anxiety. Ginn next asserts that she was prejudiced in that the codefendant, Hill, was not served with the indictment and did not testify at the trial. However, if Ginn felt that Hill's presence was necessary to her defense, she could have secured his presence at trial by way of a subpoena. This factor weighed against Ginn. ¶ 28. Based upon the analysis of the four factors under Barker, there was no violation of Ginn's federal right to a speedy trial.