Opinion ID: 2353930
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Who Caused the Delay

Text: Except in extreme circumstances, delay caused by the defendant is not to be computed in determining whether a defendant has been denied a speedy trial. King v. United States, 105 U.S.App.D.C. 193, 265 F. 2d 567 ( en banc ), cert. denied, 359 U.S. 998, 79 S.Ct. 1124, 3 L.Ed.2d 986 (1959). Therefore, in our consideration, we compute only the delay which may reasonably be charged against the government. Appellant first became a suspect on April 18, 1964; he was arrested June 29, 1964. The two and one-half month delay between identification and arrest, caused by errors and confusion in warrants, must be charged against the government. Another three weeks passed before appellant appeared in court and was bound over to the grand jury. This also can be charged to the government. On October 12, 1964, the grand jury returned an ignoramus. The present informations were filed October 22, 1964. Time consumed in grand jury proceedings is not chargeable against the government, since this is regarded as the routine, normal delay inherent in judicial procedures. United States v. Kennedy, D. C.App., 220 A.2d 322, 325 (1966). Cf. King v. United States, supra. The ten days between the return of the ignoramus and the filing of the informations, although not an unreasonable time, must, however, be assessed against the government. Thus, of the nine or ten months between identification and trial, only three and one-half months (the period between identification and the filing of the informations) may be directly attributable to the government.