Opinion ID: 2590670
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Interstate Agreement on Detainers (IAD)

Text: Wilson argues that the district court committed reversible error when it denied his motion to dismiss for failure to commence trial within the 120-day period required by the IAD. Wilson contends that his trial did not commence until 184 days after his arrival in the CCDC, a violation of Article IV(c) of the IAD. The IAD is an interstate compact approved by the United States Congress to which Nevada is a party. [35] The IAD is codified in Nevada law at NRS 178.620. The IAD, among other things, specifies the procedures by which a prisoner may request speedy disposition of the charges pending against him in a jurisdiction other than where he is incarcerated. [36] Article IV of the IAD requires that when, at the State's request, a defendant is brought from another jurisdiction to face charges pending against him, the receiving state must try him within 120 days of his arrival, unless good cause is shown for a delay. [37] The failure to commence trial within the 120-day period results in dismissal of the charges with prejudice. [38] However, this 120-day requirement is not absolute, and the time period is tolled whenever a defendant is either unable to stand trial, [39] or when the delay is occasioned by the defendant's own actions. [40] Under NRS 178.405, whenever doubt arises as to the competence of the defendant, the court shall suspend the trial ... until the question of competence is determined. The federal government transferred Wilson to the CCDC on January 20, 2003, and his trial commenced on July 23, 2003  a total span of 184 days. The issue on appeal is whether the State met the 120-day requirement because the time period was tolled by the necessary inquiry into Wilson's competency to stand trial. On March 17, 2003, the public defender who was initially assigned to represent Wilson raised concerns regarding Wilson's competency to stand trial. He presented the court with a psychological evaluation that indicated Wilson was incompetent and unable to aid in his defense. On March 26, 2003, the judge was presented with a second report, also demonstrating that Wilson was not competent to stand trial. Wilson argues that the 120-day period was not tolled until March 31, 2003, the date the commitment order was signed and filed. [41] Wilson further contends that because the judge expressed doubts as to the validity of the psychological reports, the time period was not tolled while the court conducted the hearing and further evaluation that was required under Nevada law. We conclude that Wilson's arguments are unpersuasive. Read together, these statutes require that at the point in time when a doubt is raised as to a defendant's competency to stand trial, and where good cause is shown in open court, the 120-day period is tolled until the court can ascertain the defendant's mental competency. Importantly, the district court ultimately reviewed the reports of four psychologists, three of whom believed Wilson was not competent to stand trial and a fourth who disagreed with that assessment. On June 4, 2003, the district court, finding the opinion of the fourth doctor more persuasive, adjudged Wilson competent to stand trial. [42] Consequently, the time period was tolled from the date Wilson's competency was first challenged, March 17, 2003, until he was deemed competent on June 4, 2003, a span of 79 days. Therefore, Wilson was brought to trial in 105 days, well within the 120-day period. As a result, we conclude that the trial court did not error in denying Wilson's motion to dismiss for the State's failure to commence trial within the time required by the IAD. In his reply brief, Wilson raises an unrelated argument that the delay in bringing him to trial resulted in prejudice because the two doctors who treated him while he was in federal custody either died or retired and thus were unavailable to appear at the hearing on his motion to suppress his confession. Wilson argues that their testimony would prove that his confession was not freely and voluntarily given. In regard to the violation of his IAD rights, this line of reasoning is irrelevant to the issues presented on appeal. Moreover, we conclude that the unavailability of these two particular doctors did not prevent Wilson from presenting at the suppression hearing evidence or testimony pertaining to the voluntariness of his confession. We therefore conclude that no prejudice is demonstrated on these facts.