Opinion ID: 78298
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Pretrial Proceedings Leading to Dismissal of Knight's First Federal Indictment

Text: On January 3 and 4, 2006, Knight moved to suppress his statements and physical evidence. A suppression hearing was held on February 15, 2006, and Knight ultimately withdrew those motions on March 30, 2006. On February 24, 2006, Knight moved pro se to dismiss his indictment for a violation of the 30-days-to-indict clause of the Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3161(b). The magistrate judge recommended the denial of Knight's motion because Knight had been indicted before his transfer to federal custody. The district court adopted the report and recommendation and denied Knight's motion. On August 22, 2006, Knight moved to dismiss the indictment based on pretrial delay in violation of the Sixth Amendment, the Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 3161, 3162, and Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 48(b). The United States responded that much of the period after Knight's indictment had been spent attempting to achieve Knight's cooperation and, in support of that argument, provided the court with a timeline to which Knight did not object. The district court dismissed the indictment without prejudice on the ground that the delay violated the Speedy Trial Act. Knight filed a motion for reconsideration. The district court ruled that the 11-month delay was not presumptively prejudicial under the Sixth Amendment and denied the motion for reconsideration. Knight appealed to this Court, but we dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction because the dismissal without prejudice was not a final order.