Opinion ID: 2277983
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: This Dismissal Abuse of Discretion

Text: It appears that the Calendar Judge dismissed the Indictment against Harris as a sanction for what he perceived to be a failing on the part of the Trial Deputy to comply with a scheduling order. If a prosecutor has, in fact, engaged in misconduct, the United States Supreme Court has directed courts to impose a sanction, such as a reprimand, disciplinary referral, or contempt, which focuses on the culpable individual rather than granting a windfall to the unprejudiced defendant. Bank of Nova Scotia v. United States, 487 U.S. 250, 263, 108 S.Ct. 2369, 2378, 101 L.Ed.2d 228 (1988). See Super.Ct.Crim.R. 42 and Del. Judges' Code of Judicial Conduct Canon 3 B(3). Consequently, the United States Supreme Court has held that, in a criminal proceeding, the ultimate sanction of dismissal, in the absence of any prejudice to the defendant, is an inappropriate remedy for improper actions by a prosecutor. Bank of Nova Scotia v. United States, 487 U.S. at 263, 108 S.Ct. at 2378. Similarly, this Court has consistently confined its affirmance of the dismissal of a prosecution by the trial courts to those cases in which the culpable conduct precipitating the dismissal was attributable to the State, as prosecutor, and found to work some definable or measurable prejudice to the defendant. State v. McElroy, 561 A.2d at 157. We recognize the difficulties which the judges of our trial courts confront daily in the scheduling of cases in overburdened dockets. The defendant's right to a speedy trial is constitutionally compelled but the State, and the community it represents, has an important stake in criminal proceedings. In scheduling, as in other aspects of the trial process, the trial judge is responsible for safeguarding both the rights of the accused and the interests of the public in the administration of criminal justice. ABA Standards For Criminal Justice, Special Functions of the Trial Judge, § 6-1.1(a). In Harris' case, the record reflects that the Trial Deputy acted in a reasonable way in an effort to comply with, not defy, the scheduling instructions conveyed by the bailiff. The record also reflects that the conduct of the Trial Deputy did not cause Harris any prejudice or delay. A fortiori, the Superior Court abused its discretion in sua sponte dismissing the Indictment. State v. McElroy, 561 A.2d at 157; Bank of Nova Scotia v. United States, 487 U.S. at 263, 108 S.Ct. at 2378.