Opinion ID: 1257787
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Adoption of Fourth Circuit's Balancing Approach

Text: Upon our careful consideration of the rationale relied upon by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Howell and again in Jones, we are compelled to agree with the approach adopted by the Fourth Circuit for analyzing preindictment delay. Only by eliminating the burden imposed on a defendant to demonstrate that the State gained an advantage through preindictment delay, will the overarching concern of fundamental fairness that undergirds the Due Process Clause be furthered. Accordingly, we hold that in determining whether preindictment delay violates the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article III, Section 10 of the West Virginia Constitution, the initial burden is on the defendant to show that actual prejudice has resulted from the delay. Once that showing has been made, the trial court must then balance the resulting prejudice against the reasonableness of the delay. In balancing these competing interests, the core inquiry is whether the government's decision to prosecute after substantial delay violates fundamental notions of justice or the community's sense of fair play. To the extent our prior decision in Hundley and its progeny are inconsistent with this ruling, they are expressly overruled.