Opinion ID: 1653079
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Reconciliation and Deference to the Circuit Court

Text: In the end, the Circuit Court expressed great reluctance to dismiss but felt constrained under the authority and guidelines of Barker and progeny, particularly Prince v. State of Alabama, 507 F.2d 693 (5th Cir.1975), to grant Ferguson's motion. In so doing, the Court made what is, in effect, a finding of ultimate fact that Ferguson's right to a speedy trial had been denied. Unfortunately, the Court failed to articulate its findings and views regarding the Barker factors. In similar cases we have tended to act de novo in performing the Barker v. Wingo analysis. We have not addressed whether there should be a speedy trial variant of our general rule that we will leave undisturbed a trial court's findings of ultimate facts where, consistent with the burdens of production and persuasion, the record fairly supports them. On the other hand, we have in many contexts said before and will say again that it would be extremely helpful if the Circuit Courts, in considering these matters, would provide us with an articulated statement of their findings of evidentiary fact made and the reasons for the decision to grant the motion. See Folk v. State, 576 So.2d 1243, 1247 (Miss. 1991); and Gavin v. State, 473 So.2d 952, 955 (Miss. 1985). Under the circumstances, we proceed de novo. The 288 day delay was presumptively prejudicial. The prosecution had the twin burdens on reason for delay and prejudice. It offered only the Circuit Court's docket pages for this case, which proved nothing. No evidence in the record justifies the delay, nor does anything before us rebut the presumption of prejudice. Ferguson made demand for a speedy (re)trial on October 13, 1987, and the prosecution did nothing until he moved to dismiss in mid-February, 1988. We affirm the judgment of the Circuit Court that Ferguson has been denied his constitutional right to a speedy (re)trial. AFFIRMED. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS, DAN M. LEE, P.JJ., and PRATHER, SULLIVAN, PITTMAN, BANKS and McRAE, JJ., concur.