Opinion ID: 1471392
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the period from june 17, 1991 until september 3, 1991

Text: On April 23, 1991, Judge Lofton appointed Kenneth Suggs and Richard Atkinson to represent Clements and scheduled trial for June 24, 1991. At an omnibus hearing on June 17, 1991, Mr. Suggs asked to be relieved as counsel. His request was denied. Mr. Atkinson then requested a continuance due to an inability to be ready on the June 24th trial date. Judge Lofton found both Atkinson and Suggs negligent, held them in contempt of court, fined them $1,000.00 each, and removed them from the case. Judge Lofton immediately appointed Ray Hartenstein as defense counsel and asked him if he would be ready to go to trial on the previously set trial date to which he received a negative response. The court recessed to allow Mr. Hartenstein to go to his office to get his calendar. When the court reconvened, Judge Lofton announced that the motion for continuance was before the court. The court appointed Blake Hendrix to assist Mr. Hartenstein. Over the state's objection, Judge Lofton granted a continuance until September 23, 1991. Appellant first argues that this period is not excludable because there is no written order or docket entry setting forth the excludable period. Under Ark. R.Crim.P. 28.3(i), the trial court should enter written orders or make docket notations specifying the reasons for the delays and the specific dates or number of days to be excluded. Hubbard v. State, 306 Ark. 153, 812 S.W.2d 107 (1991); Cox v. State, 299 Ark. 312, 772 S.W.2d 336 (1989). However, a trial court's failure to comply with Rule 28.3(i) does not result in automatic reversal. McConaughy v. State, 301 Ark. 446, 784 S.W.2d 768 (1990). We have held that when a case is delayed by the accused and that delaying act is memorialized by a record taken at the time it occurred, that record may be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of Rule 28.3(i). See Key v. State, 300 Ark. 66, 776 S.W.2d 820 (1989); Kennedy v. State, 297 Ark. 488, 763 S.W.2d 648 (1989). Here, the docket sheet reflects Jury Trial 9-3-91 and that attorneys Suggs and Adkisson were removed from the case. Also, the continuance was adequately memorialized on record at the hearing on June 17, 1991. This was sufficient to satisfy the necessary requirements. Clements also argues that he was not responsible for the continuance. He notes that the oral motion made by his attorney was denied by the court and the ensuing continuance was the result of the court's sua sponte initiative and not that of the defense attorneys. Under Ark.R.Crim.P. 28.3(c), a period of delay is excluded only if the continuance was granted at the request of the defendant or his counsel. Matthews v. State, 268 Ark. 484, 598 S.W.2d 58 (1980); Campbell v. State, 264 Ark. 372, 571 S.W.2d 597 (1978). In the present case, the trial judge asked Clements if he desired to go to trial as scheduled and he replied, I'm not happy with him. I'm not ready to go to trial. Also, the prosecution objected to the continuance. Therefore, the delay in the trial was attributable to the actions of the appellant and not to the State. As such, this period is excludable as a delay for good cause. See Lewis v. State, 307 Ark. 260, 819 S.W.2d 689 (1991).