Opinion ID: 2120348
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: July 23, 2001, to August 6, 2001 (14 days)

Text: The record reflects that defense counsel filed four pretrial motions on July 23, 2001. The trial court set a hearing for those motions on August 6, 2001. On that date, the State indicated that one of its necessary witnesses was out of town and unavailable. The trial court continued the matter for one week. Thereafter, on August 13, 2001, the motions were heard and ruled upon by the trial court. Periods of time attributable to delays from pretrial motions filed by the defendant may be excluded from the speedy-trial period under Rule 28.3. Turner, 349 Ark. 715, 80 S.W.3d 382; Ferguson, 343 Ark. 159, 33 S.W.3d 115; Gwin v. State, 340 Ark. 302, 9 S.W.3d 501 (2000). The excludable period contemplated by the rule begins at the time the pretrial motion is made and includes those periods of delay attributable to the defendant until the motion is heard by the court and not more than thirty days thereafter. Id. Here, the pretrial motions were made when they were filed on July 23, 2001. They were set for hearing on August 6. The State sought and received a one-week continuance of the hearing, and the motions were heard and ruled upon on August 13. The continuance requested by the State is not excluded from the period for speedy trial. Accordingly, the excludable time for pretrial motions is from July 23 to August 6.