Opinion ID: 454946
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Delay Between Arrest and Indictment

Text: 5 In his original and renewed motions to dismiss, Robinson asserted that his speedy trial rights were violated because the government failed to indict him within thirty days of his arrest as required by 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3161(b). 2 In its order dismissing the indictment, the district court characterized the period between Robinson's arrest on September 11, 1981 and his indictment on August 23, 1982 as an inordinate delay in violation of Robinson's constitutional right to due process and statutory right to a speedy trial. On appeal, the government argues that the period from September 14, 1981, when the government indicated it would not file a complaint against Robinson, to August 23, 1982, the date of the return of the indictment, should not be counted as nonexcludable time for purposes of section 3161(b) because no charges were pending against Robinson during that period. 6 Although the record is somewhat unclear, it appears that Robinson was never formally charged at the time of his September 11, 1981 arrest. When Robinson appeared before a magistrate on September 14, 1981, the government stated that it would not file a complaint against him at that time. In United States v. Sayers, 698 F.2d 1128 (11th Cir.1983), a panel of this court held that the thirty-day period specified in section 3161(b) should begin to run only after an individual is 'accused,' either by an arrest and charge or by an indictment. Id. at 1131. If Robinson was never held to answer to a charge, the time limits imposed by section 3161(b) were not applicable. See also United States v. Kubiak, 704 F.2d 1545, 1548 (11th Cir.) (per curiam), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 104 S.Ct. 163, 78 L.Ed.2d 149 (1983); United States v. Varella, 692 F.2d 1352, 1356-58 (11th Cir.1982), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 104 S.Ct. 127, 78 L.Ed.2d 124 (1983). 7 Even assuming that Robinson was formally charged, there is still no Speedy Trial Act violation. In United States v. Puett, 735 F.2d 1331 (11th Cir.1984), this court held that when an initial complaint is dismissed and the defendant is later indicted, the time limits run anew from the date of the filing of the subsequent complaint or indictment. Id. at 1333-34. This is because speedy trial guarantees focus on pending criminal prosecutions. Id. at 1334. Therefore, when the government indicated at the September 14, 1981 hearing that it would not proceed against Robinson, 3 there was no pending prosecution to trigger the commencement of the speedy trial clock. 8 There was also no violation of Robinson's constitutional rights. The sixth amendment right to a speedy trial does not arise until charges are pending against the accused. United States v. MacDonald, 456 U.S. 1, 7, 102 S.Ct. 1497, 1501, 71 L.Ed.2d 696, 703 (1982). Similarly, once the government, acting in good faith, formally drops the charges, the speedy trial guarantee of the sixth amendment is no longer effective. Any undue delay following the dismissal is to be scrutinized by due process standards. Id. The due process clause of the fifth amendment requires dismissal of the indictment if the defendant can show that pre-indictment delay caused actual prejudice to his defense and was a deliberate action by the government designed to gain a tactical advantage. United States v. Marion, 404 U.S. 307, 324, 92 S.Ct. 455, 465, 30 L.Ed.2d 468, 481 (1971); Puett, 735 F.2d at 1334. We need not decide whether Robinson was actually prejudiced by dismissal of the charges because there is nothing in the record to suggest that the government delayed bringing the indictment in order to gain a tactical advantage. The district court accordingly erred in holding that Robinson's statutory and constitutional rights were violated by the failure to indict him within thirty days of his arrest.