Opinion ID: 2061983
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Iowa Law on Arrest

Text: When interpreting Iowa Rule of Criminal Procedure 27(2)(a), the speedy indictment rule, we review for correction of errors at law. Iowa R.App. P. 4; State v. Dennison, 571 N.W.2d 492, 494 (Iowa 1997); State v. Davis, 525 N.W.2d 837, 838 (Iowa 1994). Rule 27(2) states as follows: 2. Speedy Trial. It is the public policy of the state of Iowa that criminal prosecutions be concluded at the earliest possible time consistent with a fair trial to both parties. Applications for dismissals under this subsection may be made by the prosecuting attorney or the defendant or by the court on its own motion. a. When an adult is arrested for the commission of a public offense . . . and an indictment is not found against him within forty-five days, the court must order the prosecution to be dismissed, unless good cause to the contrary is shown or the defendant waives his right thereto. The term indictment as used in rule 27(2)(a) includes a trial information. Iowa R.Crim. P. 5(5); State v. Schuessler, 561 N.W.2d 40, 41 (Iowa 1997); Davis, 525 N.W.2d at 839. In this case, eighty-five days passed between the incident on July 14 and the filing of the trial information on October 7, 1996. Rains argues that his arrest occurred on July 14, the date of the incident, and that therefore the rule has been violated. The State does not contend that good cause has been shown in this instance. Furthermore, we concluded above that defendant did not waive his right to a speedy indictment by not filing his motion to dismiss on that ground until January 9, 1997. Rather, the State contends that Rains was not arrested for purposes of the speedy indictment rule until October 7, the day the State formally charged him by filing the trial information. We must determine whether Rains was arrested for purposes of the speedy indictment rule based on the conduct of Officer Clark the night of the incident and the presence of the police officer outside Rains' hospital room for several days. The definition of arrest for purposes of rule 27(2)(a) is governed by the general law of arrest provided in Iowa Code chapter 804, specifically sections 804.5 and 804.14. State v. Johnson-Hugi, 484 N.W.2d 599, 600 (Iowa 1992). Because rule 27(2)(a) and sections 804.5 and 804.14 were enacted together, we must construe them together. See State v. Schmitt, 290 N.W.2d 24, 26 (Iowa 1980). Iowa Code section 804.5 defines arrest as the taking of a person into custody when and in the manner authorized by law, including restraint of the person or the person's submission to custody. Iowa Code section 804.14 defines the manner of making an arrest: The person making the arrest must inform the person to be arrested of the intention to arrest the person, the reason for arrest, and that the person making the arrest is a peace officer, if such be the case, and require the person being arrested to submit to the person's custody.... Prior cases are also helpful in construing the term arrest. It has been held that mere submission to authority does not constitute an arrest. See State v. Delockroy, 559 N.W.2d 43, 45 (Iowa App.1996); State v. Ransom, 309 N.W.2d 156, 159 (Iowa App. 1981). Furthermore, an arrest does not necessarily occur simply because a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances would believe he or she was not free to leave. Johnson-Hugi, 484 N.W.2d at 601 (citing California v. Hodari D., 499 U.S. 621, 627-28, 111 S.Ct. 1547, 1551, 113 L.Ed.2d 690, 698 (1991)). An arrest requires an assertion of authority and purpose to arrest followed by submission of the arrestee. Id. (quoting Hodari D., 499 U.S. at 626, 111 S.Ct. at 1551, 113 L.Ed.2d at 698 (quoting Rollin M. Perkins, The Law of Arrest, 25 Iowa L.Rev. 201, 206 (1940))) (emphasis added). Although the use of formal words of arrest is not required to effectuate an arrest, see State v. Harvey, 242 N.W.2d 330, 339 (Iowa 1976), it is a factor to consider. See Iowa Code § 804.14; Johnson-Hugi, 484 N.W.2d at 600. The lack of booking or charges being filed does not necessarily mandate a finding of no arrest. Schmitt, 290 N.W.2d at 26. We note our recent statement regarding the effect of our prior pronouncements on the factors constituting an arrest: What can be gleaned from these cases is that the question of whether a defendant was arrested is determined on a case-by-case basis. There is no bright-line rule or test. These basic principles assist us, but are not determinative. Dennison, 571 N.W.2d at 495.