Opinion ID: 1374533
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Was the time period between arraignment and trial within the time limits of CrR 3.3?

Text: The following time intervals are determined from the record. Pacheco was detained by King County Jail authorities  for 52 days prior to his appearance in Everett District Court. The information was filed 1 day after the Everett District Court appearance. He was arraigned in Superior Court 2 days after the information was filed. Trial began 47 days after arraignment. CrR 3.3 reads in applicable part as follows: (c) Time for Arraignment and Trial. (1) Cases Filed Directly in Superior Court. If the defendant is detained in jail or subject to conditions of release, the defendant shall be arraigned not later than 14 days after the date the information or indictment is filed directly in superior court.... (2) Cases Filed Initially in District Court. (i) If after proceedings have been initiated in district court an information or indictment is filed with the superior court, and if at the time the information or indictment is filed the defendant is detained in jail or subjected to conditions of release, the defendant shall be arraigned not later than 14 days after the date the information or indictment is filed.... A defendant not released from jail pending trial shall be brought to trial not later than 60 days after the date of arraignment, less time elapsed in district court.... (ii) Time elapsed in district court means the following: ... If at the time a complaint is filed with the district court the defendant is not detained in jail or subjected to conditions of release, time elapsed in district court commences on the date of the defendant's appearance in district court which next follows the filing of the complaint. Time elapsed in district court ends with the earlier of (a) an oral or written order of dismissal entered by the district court, or (b) the filing of an information or indictment in superior court.... ... (f) Setting of Trial Date  Notice to Parties  Objection to Trial Date  Waiver. (1) The court shall, within 15 days of the defendant's actual arraignment in superior court, set a date for trial which is within the time limits prescribed by this rule, and notify counsel for each party of the date set.... The notice shall set forth the proper date of the defendant's arraignment as established at the time of arraignment, the date set for trial and the number of days which  will elapse before the trial date. A party who objects to the date set upon the ground that it is not within the time limits prescribed by this rule must, within 10 days after the notice is mailed or otherwise given, move that the court set a trial within those time limits. Failure of a party, for any reason, to make such a motion shall be a waiver of the objection that a trial commenced on such date, or on an extension of such date properly granted pursuant to this rule, is not within the time limits prescribed by this rule. ... (g) Excluded Periods. The following periods shall be excluded in computing the time for arraignment and the time for trial: ... (2) Preliminary proceedings and trial on another charge ... No violation of the time for arraignment or trial is found applying the time intervals in this case to CrR 3.3. A defendant shall be arraigned not later than 14 days after the date the information is filed in superior court. CrR 3.3(c)(2)(i). Pacheco was arraigned 2 days after the information was filed. Arraignment was timely because it occurred 12 days before the latest date required by CrR 3.3(c). Also, a defendant shall be brought to trial not later than 60 days after the date of arraignment less time spent in district court. CrR 3.3(c)(2)(i). If the defendant is not detained in jail at the time a complaint is filed with the district court, the time elapsed in district court commences on the date of the defendant's appearance in district court, which next follows the filing of the complaint and ends when the information was filed. CrR 3.3(c)(2)(ii). Pacheco was not in jail when the complaint was filed. He was at large. He first appeared in district court on October 17 and the information was filed 1 day later. Trial was timely because it commenced before the expiration of the time period set forth by CrR 3.3(c). There was no violation of the time for arraignment or trial. Under CrR 3.3 the time spent in King County Jail under the authority of his arrest for probation violations was time during which  he was held for hearing on another charge. The defendant contends that CrR 3.3 and CrR 4.1(a) do not authorize an exclusion of time between the defendant's arrest and his superior court arraignment citing State v. Carpenter, 94 Wn.2d 690, 619 P.2d 697 (1980), State v. Alexus, 91 Wn.2d 492, 588 P.2d 1171 (1979), and State v. Striker, 87 Wn.2d 870, 557 P.2d 847 (1976). State v. Carpenter, supra , and State v. Striker, supra , held that the applicable date from which to calculate the 60 and the 90 days within which a defendant must be brought to trial is the date of the filing of an information, and these time periods are to be strictly enforced unless delay is caused by the connivance of the defendant. [1] State v. Alexus, supra , held that where a defendant is in jail awaiting sentencing on another charge and is amenable to process, the State must prove that it acted with good faith and due diligence to bring the defendant to trial after the filing of the information. In Alexus there was an inordinate, unjustifiable delay. In the case before us, had the Snohomish County Prosecutor known where the defendant was, he would have found the defendant held for probation revocation. This hold upon the defendant was entitled to deference. The prosecutor finding a defendant held on a parole hold faces a choice as to whether to proceed with prosecution or await the outcome of the parole revocation hearing. A reasonable period should be permitted to make such a choice so long as the prosecutor acts in good faith and with due diligence. Here we find no lack of good faith or diligence. Further, whereas in State v. Alexus , the prosecutor knew where the defendant was and did not follow up on the knowledge; here the defendant was lost to the prosecutor during the major portion of the time between the filing of the complaint and the defendant's arraignment. See also State v. Bledsoe, 31 Wn. App. 460, 643 P.2d 454 (1982). State v. Brown, 33 Wn. App. 843, 658 P.2d 44 (1983), State v. Chaney, 17 Wn. App. 258, 562 P.2d 259 (1977), and Wilhelm v. Harvey, 16 Wn. App. 802, 559 P.2d 597 (1977)  hold that when a defendant is held on an unrelated charge, the longer 90-day rather than the 60-day period will apply; that time spent in trial on another charge will be excluded from the speedy trial computation and that when a defendant is held under a parole detainer the rule should be construed to exclude the period during which the defendant is awaiting hearing on the parole hold. We find these cases consistent with our reasoning that CrR 3.3(g)(2) should encompass within [p]reliminary proceedings and trial on another charge the period held awaiting hearing on a probation violation. Here the defendant was held in King County Jail pending a probation revocation hearing and therefore the time spent in King County was excludable under CrR 3.3(g)(2) as a time period when he was held awaiting hearing on another charge.