Opinion ID: 1917675
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Speedy Trial and Loss of Evidence

Text: ¶ 42. Smith argues that he was denied his right to due process by a lack of a speedy trial and the spoliation of evidence. In regard to the speedy trial issue, Smith was indicted on September 10, 1998, for the murder of Theragood. A motion for speedy trial was filed on July 5, 2000. ¶ 43. Smith claims that he noticed the court of his right to speedy trial in 1998. The record does not confirm this kind of claim. The record only contains a motion for speedy trial dated July 5, 2000. During an August 11, 2000, hearing the State argued that Smith was being held in Florida on federal charges. The prosecutor argued that the State had to attempt to get Smith to Mississippi through a writ which was denied, however, the State did everything that it was required to do. There was no finding of facts or conclusion of law in the record concerning this issue. At the hearing, however, the trial court allowed a continuance from a proposed October trial date to the next spring term. The trial court informed Smith that the time would not run against the State and that there would be no speedy trial issue. Smith and his counsel agreed and agreed to waive the time until the new setting of the case. In addition, the trial court's pretrial order does not contain any reference to the speedy trial issue. Smith did not raise the speedy trial issue in either the motion for new trial or jnov. ¶ 44. In the post-trial motions and on appeal, Smith asserted that he was denied due process due to the loss of evidence that he maintained was exculpatory in nature. In specific, Smith claims that the baby bag, which was sent home with George, would show a lack of his fingerprints; loss of crime scene photographs depicting the position of the body by DeSoto County law enforcement; FBI evidence collected the next day at the scene; and the loss of the victim's clothing. He requested a new trial which the trial court denied on the record. ¶ 45. In Northup v. State, 793 So.2d 618, 623 (Miss.2001), this Court addressed the issue of spoliation of evidence as follows: The State has the duty to preserve evidence, but that duty is limited to that evidence which might be expected to play a significant role in the suspect's defense. Tolbert v. State, 511 So.2d 1368, 1372 (Miss.1987) (quoting California v. Trombetta, 467 U.S. 479, 488, 104 S.Ct. 2528, 2534, 81 L.Ed.2d 413, 422 (1984)). When the defendant claims he is entitled to a new trial based on the prosecution's having lost or destroyed evidence, this Court employs a two-part test. First, it must be determined whether the evidence would have played a significant role in the defendant's case. To play a significant role, the exculpatory nature and value of the evidence must have been apparent before the evidence was lost. The second part of the test requires that the defendant have no way of obtaining comparable evidence by other means. Tolbert, 511 So.2d at 1372 (citations omitted). The Court also set out the general rule as follows: It is a general rule that the intentional spoliation or destruction of evidence relevant to a case raises a presumption, or, more properly, an inference, that this evidence would have been unfavorable to the case of the spoliator. Such a presumption or inference arises, however, only where the spoliation or destruction was intentional and indicates fraud and a desire to suppress the truth, and it does not arise where the destruction was a matter of routine with no fraudulent intent. Tolbert, 511 So.2d at 1372-73 (citing Washington v. State, 478 So.2d 1028, 1032-33 (Miss.1985)). Northup v. State, 793 So.2d at 623-24. The trial court made an on-the-record ruling concerning the spoliation of evidence. The trial judge stated in part the following: I have to say for the record there is no proof at all that there was any lost evidence intentionally. Obviously, there was some inept police work in this case, and that was all presented to the jury; but that goes to the weight and credibility and sufficiency for which the jury is impaneled to determine all of that. And they knew all that. That was very professionally attacked by you, Ms. Abiato, and very clearly shown to the jury, the ineptness and how that was handled, and the jury concluded from all the other evidenceand again, it was overwhelming in my view that that didn't matter. So certainly I can't set aside the verdict on that. The jury heard about the loss of the evidence and could weigh the evidence as presented. We find that the trial court ruling should be affirmed and this issue is without merit. Smith may have filed a speedy trial motion, however, the trial court made no specific speedy trial ruling. Further, Smith and his counsel agreed on the record to waive any speedy trial issues up to the time of trial in 2001. As to the spoliation of evidence, the trial court made an on-the-record ruling that the spoliation of evidence was not intentional.