Opinion ID: 1652510
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: March 7, 2006, to September 21, 2006

Text: Davis first argues that the circuit court erred in excluding the 204-day period from March 2, 2006, to September 21, 2006, as time attributable to him for his mental evaluation. As a preliminary matter, the State asserts that Davis's argument on speedy trial is foreclosed by the failure to make a contemporaneous objection. The contemporaneous-objection rule requires a defendant to apprise the court of alleged error prior to making its decision. Marta v. State, 336 Ark. 67, 80, 983 S.W.2d 924, 931 (1999). Davis could not apprise the court of any alleged error in exclusion of time for the mental evaluation prior to the circuit court making its decision because no hearing was held at which he could object. The contemporaneous-objection rule does not apply under these facts. In the present case, the circuit court simply excluded time on its own motion by issuance of an order. We addressed this situation in Tanner v. State, 324 Ark. 37, 42-43, 918 S.W.2d 166, 169 (1996): In this case, the appellant's motion to dismiss was made before trial, and, under the circumstances of this case, he was not required to challenge the court-ordered exclusion of time immediately upon issuance of the court's order. As we stated earlier, it is the burden of the prosecution and the courts to see that a defendant is brought to trial on time. (Emphasis added.) In Tanner , the circuit court reset Tanner's trial date on its own motion. Nothing in the record reflected that Tanner or his counsel were present when the decision was made, and the order indicated that the prosecutor and Tanner's counsel were notified of the continuance by mail. The circuit court in Tanner , on its own motion, as in the present case, filed an order which purported to exclude the period ... from speedy trial computation. Tanner, 324 Ark. at 39, 918 S.W.2d at 167. Before a criminal defendant may be required to state a contemporaneous objection to the exclusion of time under speedy trial, the excludability of the period must be discussed during a hearing where the defendant and his counsel were present. DeAsis v. State, 360 Ark. 286, 292, 200 S.W.3d 911, 915 (2005). If there had been a hearing, where counsel was present, and at which the propriety of the excluded period was raised and decided, an objection would have been required. See Mack v. State, 321 Ark. 547, 905 S.W.2d 842 (1995). We reject the State's argument that a contemporaneous objection could have been or had to be made in this case where there was no hearing on the excludability of the period. As noted, Davis argues that the circuit court erred in excluding 204 days due to the mental evaluation. He asserts that only a portion of those 204 days may be attributed to the mental evaluation and cites us to Morgan v. State, 333 Ark. 294, 971 S.W.2d 219 (1998), where this court discussed the period excludable due to a mental evaluation. Morgan provides that time is excluded from the date the exam is ordered to the report's file date. Id. at 299, 971 S.W.2d at 222. Davis agrees the time required for the mental exam as defined in Morgan is excludable and attributable to him. He asserts, however, that only the thirty-four-day period of February 21, 2006, to March 27, 2006 is attributable to him. Pursuant to Morgan , the time attributable to Davis for the mental evaluation concluded on the date the report was filed. While the record does not reveal when the report was filed. The State bears the burden of showing that any delay is attributable to the defendant or otherwise legally justified. Standridge v. State, 357 Ark. 105, 161 S.W.3d 815 (2004). While the report cover letter transmitting the report to the court is dated March 27, 2006, the State has not shown when the report was filed. Because the report could not have been filed prior to its mailing, we accept the cover letter date of March 27, 2006, as the last date of exclusion attributable to Davis on the mental evaluation. This means that thirty-four days are excluded. The remaining 170 days, of the total 204 days excluded by the circuit court, are not excludable based on the mental evaluation. Nothing indicates that the 170-day delay was attributed to any other cause. As already noted, and as we have repeatedly held, the burden is on the courts and the prosecutors to see that trials are held in a timely fashion. Jolly, supra . A contemporaneous record must reveal that a delay is attributable to the defendant or the time will not constitute an excludable period. Moody v. Ark. County Circuit Court, 350 Ark. 176, 85 S.W.3d 534 (2002). There is nothing in the record that reveals that this delay was properly attributed to Davis; therefore, it is not excludable. Subtracting thirty-four days from 601 leaves 567 days from the date of arrest to the date of trial.