Opinion ID: 1775415
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Was Livingston Denied His Constitutional Right to a Speedy Trial?

Text: Livingston suggests he was denied his right to a speedy trial guaranteed under U.S. Const. Amend. VI, and Miss. Const. Art. 3, § 26 (1890). Miss. Code Ann. § 99-17-1 (Supp. 1987) requires that a defendant be tried within 270 days of arraignment. In addition to this statutory right, we must also decide whether Livingston's Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial has been violated. These rights normally attach at arraignment and indictment, respectively. See Hughey v. State, 512 So.2d 4, 7 (Miss. 1987); Darby v. State, 476 So.2d 1192, 1194 (Miss. 1985). [2] Livingston's indictment in this case occurred September 5, 1985. The record does not reflect when or if Livingston was arraigned, and there is no suggestion in the record that a detainer was lodged or would have been appropriate. Thus, we might assume Livingston's statutory and constitutional right to a speedy trial attached on or about September 5, 1985. Trial followed on December 2, 1985. Obviously, Livingston's statutory right to a speedy trial was not violated since the trial occurred well within 270 days of arraignment. We, therefore, must turn to the constitutional balancing test announced in Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972), and since adopted and applied by this Court in several cases. See, e.g., Hughey v. State, 512 So.2d 4, 7 (Miss. 1987); Williamson v. State, 512 So.2d 868 (Miss. 1987); Kinzey v. State, 498 So.2d 814, 816-17 (Miss. 1986); Lightsey v. State, 493 So.2d 375, 378 (Miss. 1986); Darby v. State, 476 So.2d 1192, 1194 (Miss. 1985); Burgess v. State, 473 So.2d 432, 433 (Miss. 1985); Bailey v. State, 463 So.2d 1059, 1062-64 (Miss. 1985); Perry v. State, 419 So.2d 194 (Miss. 1982). The test requires the Court to weigh four factors: 1. Length of delay; 2. Reason for the delay; 3. The defendant's assertion of his right to a speedy trial, 4. Prejudice resulting to the defendant. Again assuming Livingston's right to speedy trial attached on September 5, 1985, trial was delayed approximately 90 days, until December 2, 1985. The delay, if any, is shorter than that experienced by defendants in some cases where this Court has affirmed. See Hughey v. State, 512 So.2d at 7; Lightsey v. State, 493 So.2d at 379 (457 days). Under Barker, however, there must be an actual delay before balancing is even appropriate. The length of delay is to some extent a triggering mechanism. Until there is some delay which is presumptively prejudicial, there is no necessity for inquiry into the other factors that go into the balance. Nevertheless, because of the imprecision of the right to speedy trial, the length of delay that will provoke such an inquiry is necessarily dependent upon the peculiar circumstances of the case. Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. at 530-31, 92 S.Ct. at 2192, 33 L.Ed.2d at 117. Since Livingston's constitutional right to a speedy trial did not attach until indictment, the delay was slightly less than 90 days. We think a trial within approximately 90 days of the attachment of the speedy trial right does not amount to a presumptively prejudicial delay necessitating inquiry into the other factors of speedy trial analysis under Barker v. Wingo . Alternatively, even analyzing the other Barker factors, there is no violation. The reason for the delay was the intervening trial on a previous rape indictment of an offense occurring December 14, 1984, five days before the indictment giving rise to this prosecution. Trial in that earlier case concluded July 16, 1985. The indictment in this case was dated September 5, 1985, and the trial followed on December 2, 1985. Livingston made no attempt to assert his right to a speedy trial. Any prejudice to Livingston, when balanced against the other relevant factors, does not amount to an infringement of Livingston's right to a speedy trial. Livingston's failure to assert his right, the delay being attributable to the intervening trial and the relative lack of any delay, weigh against a finding in Livingston's favor. We find no merit to this alleged error. Since the majority reverses this case for an impermissible comment on defendant's failure to testify, we find it unnecessary to reach Livingston's two other assigned errors, both of which we find to be without merit.