Opinion ID: 1635665
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Consideration of the numerous adjournments.

Text: The judgment roll indicates a total of 17 court appearances in this case. The initial appearance, preliminary examination, arraignment, guilty plea hearing and sentencing hearing account for five of these appearances. Three others were scheduled to set dates. Adjournments were obtained on the defense's request on three occasions. The judgment roll fails to indicate the causes of the other six continuances. None are specifically revealed as prosecution continuances. The record further reveals that the defendant was released on bail in September, 1971. Between that time and the disposition of the instant case, several other criminal charges were lodged against the defendant. During this time the defense requested adjournments of the instant case so that it could proceed to trial on other criminal charges. The defense suggested that another trial might be avoided. Delay amounted to two years, and the other criminal charges were not resolved. Ultimately the state demanded a speedy trial in this case. The trial court's concern and determination that the system had been gimmicked and society inadequately served was reasonable and wholly justifiable. Successive adjournments by the defense or the state places an unwarranted additional weight upon this state's already overburdened trial courts. If there was specific proof that these tactics were the defendant's responsibility, this court would find no abuse of discretion in the trial court's consideration of this factor in sentencing. [9] However, in this case such specific proof is lacking, and consideration of the number of adjournments, without proof of the defendant's responsibility therefor, constitutes an abuse of discretion. [10] Although the record indicates that the imposition of an eight-year sentence in this case may well be appropriate given the trial court's consideration of an improper factor in sentencing the defendant, we remand this case for resentencing. By the Court. Judgment reversed and cause remanded for resentencing.