Opinion ID: 1439594
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Speedy-Trial Violation

Text: Appellant next argues that the trial court erred in failing to grant his motion to dismiss on the basis of a speedy-trial violation. He specifically claims that the period from October 11, 1999, through January 13, 2000, should not be charged to him, because he was incarcerated in St. Francis County during that time. According to Appellant, the State had notice of his location and, thus, had a duty to make a diligent effort to bring him to trial. Because we agree with the State that there was no speedy-trial violation, Appellant's argument in this regard is irrelevant. Pursuant to Ark. R.Crim. P. 28.1, the State is required to try a criminal defendant within twelve months, excluding any periods of delay authorized by Ark. R.Crim. P. 28.3. Romes v. State, 356 Ark. 26, 144 S.W.3d 750 (2004); Moody v. Arkansas County Circuit Court, 350 Ark. 176, 85 S.W.3d 534 (2002). This means that the accused must be tried within twelve months of the date the charges were filed, except that if prior to that time the defendant has been continuously held in custody, or has been lawfully at liberty, the time for trial commences running from the date of arrest. Id.; see also Ark. R.Crim. P. 28.2. If a defendant is not brought to trial within the requisite time, Ark. R.Crim. P. 30.1 provides that the defendant will be discharged, and such discharge is an absolute bar to prosecution of the same offense and any other offense required to be joined with that offense. Romes, 356 Ark. 26, 144 S.W.3d 750; Moody, 350 Ark. 176, 85 S.W.3d 534. Once the defendant presents a prima facie case of a speedy-trial violation, i.e., that the trial is or will be held outside the applicable speedy-trial period, the State has the burden of showing that the delay was the result of the defendant's conduct or was otherwise justified. Id.; Ferguson v. State, 343 Ark. 159, 33 S.W.3d 115 (2000). Appellant was arrested on October 29, 1998, and was not brought to trial until February 27, 2002, or 1,217 days after his arrest. Because Appellant does not challenge the period of time beyond the date of his motion to dismiss, it is unnecessary for this court to conduct a review of the entire 1,217 day period; rather we limit our review from the date of Appellant's arrest until March 5, 2001, the date on which Appellant filed a motion for reconsideration of his motion to dismiss. This period totals 858 days; thus, because Appellant has made a prima facie showing of a speedy-trial violation, the State must account for 493 days that exceed the allowable twelve-month period under our speedy-trial rule. [1] We now turn to the periods of time proven by the State to be excludable.
Appellant's trial was initially set for August 24, 1999. On August 3, Appellant filed a motion requesting a continuance. The trial court entered an order on August 5, continuing the trial until October 14. That order reflected that the continuance was chargeable to Appellant, for a total of seventy days. This court has repeatedly held that delays resulting from continuances requested by the defendant or defense counsel are excluded from the calculation of the speedy-trial period. See, e.g., Romes, 356 Ark. 26, 144 S.W.3d 750; Gamble v. State, 350 Ark. 168, 85 S.W.3d 520 (2002); Camargo v. State, 346 Ark. 118, 55 S.W.3d 255 (2001). In addition, the period from August 3 until August 5, when Appellant's motion was pending is a period properly excluded under Ark. R.Crim. P. 28.3(a). As this court stated in Gwin v. State, 340 Ark. 302, 9 S.W.3d 501 (2000), the period of delay attributable to a hearing on a pretrial motion is excludable. Thus, the State has established that seventy-two days are properly excludable.
As previously stated, Appellant filed a motion to dismiss based on the State's amended information charging Appellant with one count of failure to appear. [2] This motion was filed on December 28, 1999. It was then withdrawn by Appellant on January 10, 2000, after it was rendered moot by the State's dismissal of the failure-to-appear charge. Pursuant to Rule 28.3(a), however, the period from December 28 until January 10 is properly excludable as a period of delay attributable to a hearing on a pretrial motion. See also Gwin, 340 Ark. 302, 9 S.W.3d 501. Thus, the State has established that this thirteen-day period is excludable.
On January 10, 2000, Appellant again filed a motion to dismiss, newly alleging that his right to a speedy trial had been violated and, thus, the charges against him should be dismissed. This court has held that the date the speedy-trial motion is filed by a defendant tolls the running of the time for speedy trial under our rules. See Zangerl v. State, 352 Ark. 278, 100 S.W.3d 695 (2003); Doby v. Jefferson County Circuit Court, 350 Ark. 505, 88 S.W.3d 824 (2002); Moody, 350 Ark. 176, 85 S.W.3d 534. No order was entered, however, on the motion to dismiss until November 7, 2000. Nonetheless, Appellant also filed a motion for a continuance on January 10, noting his awareness that the continuance would be charged to him. The trial court granted the continuance and rescheduled Appellant's trial for May 25, 2000. As previously stated, delays resulting from continuances requested by the defendant or defense counsel are excluded from the calculation of the speedy-trial period. Romes, 356 Ark. 26, 144 S.W.3d 750. Thus, the period from January 10 until May 25, a period of 136 days is properly excluded from the speedy-trial calculation, as a continuance granted at the request of Appellant.
Appellant again sought a continuance on May 23, 2000, which was granted in an order entered on May 24 that rescheduled Appellant's trial for November 7, 2000. In anticipation of the November 7 trial date, Appellant sought another continuance on November 6, 2000. His motion was granted on that same day and his trial was rescheduled for March 7, 2001. Prior to this trial date, Appellant filed his motion for reconsideration on his motion to dismiss on March 5, 2001. Thus, the time for speedy trial was tolled as of the filing of this motion. Because each of the periods from May 23 are attributable to continuances sought by Appellant, it is unnecessary for this court to calculate each one separately. Calculating the time from May 25, 2000, the last counted excludable period, until the March 5 filing of the renewed motion to dismiss reveals that this period consists of 284 days. This period of time is excludable as continuances granted at the request of Appellant. See Romes, 356 Ark. 26, 144 S.W.3d 750. Combining this excludable period with the previously determined excludable periods of 72 days, 13 days, and 136 days, reveals that the total number of days properly excluded from the speedy-trial calculation equals 505 days. As stated at the outset of our analysis, the State was required to account for only 493 days; thus, there was no speedy-trial violation.