Opinion ID: 2590483
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Delay in Docketing the Appeal

Text: [¶ 39] The appellant was tried in January 2002 and sentenced in May 2002. His Notice of Appeal was filed in the district court on May 17, 2002. On the same date, the appellant designated as the record on appeal the transcript of all court records, and sent a letter to the official court reporter asking for preparation of all pre-trial proceedings, pre-trial motions, changes of plea hearing, trial, and the sentencing hearing. On May 22, 2002, the official court reporter certified completion of the requested transcripts, with the exception of one from the July 3, 2001, scheduling conference, which conference had been covered by another court reporter. Attached to the certification was a copy of a letter to the substitute court reporter seeking that transcript. [¶ 40] The next item in the district court file concerning transcripts is a copy of a January 26, 2004, letter from defense counsel to the substitute court reporter confirming the latter's completion of the transcript from the scheduling conference, as well as a transcript from a May 30, 2002, post-trial hearing. Following that letter in the district court file is the appellant's February 17, 2004, motion for order to show cause why the substitute court reporter should not be found in contempt of court for failing to produce the missing transcripts. That motion was scheduled for hearing on March 19, 2004, but the hearing was continued due to defense counsel's unavailability on that date. The transcript from the scheduling conference was filed on March 22, 2004. On April 8, 2004, the clerk of the district court sent a letter to the official court reporter, enclosing the stenographic notes from the May 30, 2002, post-trial hearing. The transcript from the post-trial motion hearing was filed on April 27, 2004, and on the same date the clerk of the district court certified that the record was complete for purposes of appeal. The appeal was docketed in this Court on April 29, 2004. [10] [¶ 41] The appellant contends that the inordinate delay in docketing his appeal deprived him of his due process right to a speedy appeal. In Daniel v. State, 2003 WY 132, ¶¶ 43-44, 78 P.3d 205, 218-19 (Wyo. 2003), cert. denied, 540 U.S. 1205, 124 S.Ct. 1476, 158 L.Ed.2d 127 (2004), we set forth in detail the process we will follow in reviewing such allegations: To determine whether an inordinate delay denies due process, most courts have adopted a modified version of the test formulated in Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 530, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972), analogizing to the violation of speedy trial rights. Harris [ v. Champion ], 15 F.3d [1538] at 1558-59 [(10th Cir.1994)]; Rheuark [ v. Shaw ], 628 F.2d [297] at 303 [(5th Cir.1980)]; Allen v. State, 686 N.E.2d 760, 783 (Ind.1997). The four-prong test examines the length of the delay, the reason for the delay, the defendant's diligence in pursuing the right to appeal, and the prejudice to the defendant. Barker, 407 U.S. at 530, 92 S.Ct. at 2192; Coe v. Thurman, 922 F.2d 528, 531-32 (9th Cir.1990); Rheuark, 628 F.2d at 303 n. 8. The length of the delay acts as a triggering mechanism, meaning that unless the delay is unreasonable under the circumstances, there is no necessity to inquire further. Doggett v. United States, 505 U.S. 647, 651-52, 112 S.Ct. 2686, 2690-91, 120 L.Ed.2d 520 (1992); Barker, 407 U.S. at 530, 92 S.Ct. at 2192. In extreme circumstances, an inordinate delay may give rise to a presumption of prejudice. Doggett, 505 U.S. at 655-57, 112 S.Ct. at 2692-93 (cited in [ United States v. ] Smith, 94 F.3d [204] at 209 [(6th Cir.1996)]). ... ... The fourth Barker factor, prejudice, is to be assessed in light of the interests that the right to a speedy disposition of an appeal is intended to protect. These interests are: (1) preventing oppressive incarceration pending appeal; (2) minimizing anxiety and concern of a convicted person awaiting the outcome of an appeal; and (3) limiting the possibility that the grounds for appeal or defenses in case of reversal and retrial might be impaired. Harris, 15 F.3d at 1559; Rheuark, 628 F.2d at 303 n. 8. [¶ 42] The appellant contends that the length of the delay in this case  two years to docket the appeal and nearly three years to resolve it  is, like the equivalent delay in Daniel, presumptively excessive, thereby necessitating inquiry into the remaining Barker factors. See Daniel, 2003 WY 132, ¶ 46, 78 P.3d at 219 and Harris v. Champion, 15 F.3d 1538, 1556 (10th Cir.1994). With respect to the second Barker factor, the appellant asserts that court reporter failures are attributable to the State. See Coe v. Thurman, 922 F.2d 528, 531 (9th Cir.1990) and State v. Moore, 87 N.M. 412, 534 P.2d 1124, 1125-26 (1975). As to the third Barker factor, the appellant contends that he diligently pursued his right to an appeal by filing a timely notice of appeal and by not authorizing any extensions of time for filing the delinquent transcripts. Finally, as to the fourth Barker factor  prejudice  the appellant's only factual allegations are, first, that the uncharged misconduct evidence that was admitted at trial will now be even more remote in time if there is a retrial, and, second, that he suffered from the oppressiveness of incarceration during the delay. [¶ 43] Having reviewed all of what the record reveals that transpired in regard to the delay in docketing this appeal, we conclude that the appellant's right to the due process of law has not been abridged. Even if we assume that the first and second Barker factors have been met because the delay in this case was unreasonable and because the delay was the State's fault, we are unable to find that the appellant has met his burden of proving the last two factors. [11] The record simply does not show due diligence by the appellant. W.R.A.P. 2.06 allows court reporters sixty days from the date the notice of appeal was filed to file the transcripts that were ordered for the appeal. The notice of appeal in this case was filed on May 17, 2002, meaning the transcripts were due July 17, 2002. The transcripts were not filed by that date, yet the appellant did nothing until January 26, 2004  over eighteen months later. Filing a timely notice of appeal does not equal due diligence in pursuing that appeal in the face of delay. While due diligence is certainly not the only factor to be considered, an appellant may not sit on his hands for eighteen months and then complain that nothing has been done. [¶ 44] The fourth Barker factor that must be proved by an appellant is prejudice. As mentioned above, the appellant's first allegation of prejudice is that the State's uncharged misconduct evidence will now be even more remote in time in the event of a retrial. The most obvious problem with that contention is that, inasmuch as there will not be a retrial, there can be no such prejudice. Beyond that, however, we note that even if this case were remanded for another trial, that trial would no doubt take place within such time that the uncharged misconduct would still be well within the time periods that this Court has previously found as being not too remote. Furthermore, the appellant has simply lumped together all of the uncharged misconduct evidence and has given no detailed analysis of particular facts or witnesses that likely would become problematic. Bald assertions are not evidence. [¶ 45] The appellant next identifies the oppressiveness of incarceration as prejudice he has suffered as a result of the delay in this appeal. That statement is contained in his appellate brief, which was, of course, written by counsel. Unfortunately, there is simply nothing factual in the record to support the allegation. Perhaps we can assume that all incarceration is oppressive, but we have not been shown how the appellant's incarceration in this situation is so oppressive as to violate his right to the due process of law. Furthermore, his jury conviction has been affirmed on appeal, meaning that he was not wrongly incarcerated during the delay. See Daniel, 2003 WY 132, ¶ 49, 78 P.3d at 220 and Harris, 15 F.3d at 1564-65. [¶ 46] We affirm.