Court Opinion

ID: 9758612
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 23:38:05.042812+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:53.419570
License: Public Domain

VAN der VOORT, Judge,
dissenting:
Appeal is taken by the Commonwealth from the March 17, 1976, Order of President Judge Weiss, dismissing the indictment against appellant.1 The operative facts are that appellant was arrested and charged on December 22, 1974. On March 10, 1975, the case was called for trial, but appellant was not present. Testimony was then presented that appellant was in detention in North Carolina; whereupon the lower court issued a detainer to the authorities of that jurisdiction. Appellant was returned to Pennsylvania, and promptly thereafter, on March 17, 1976, his case was again called for trial. Argument was held on his motion to dismiss, pursuant to Pa.R.Crim.P. 1100, the 180-day period allegedly having expired in May of 1975. The lower court held that this mandated period for commencement of trial had not been extended as it otherwise might have been due to unavailability of defendant [1100(d)(1)] or by an application for extension [1100(c)]. It was the conclusion of the lower court that appellant had not been “unavailable” within the Rule’s meaning of that term. Consequently the indictment was dismissed by reason of the Commonwealth’s failure to proceed in accord with Pa.R.Crim.P. 1100. I disagree.
*73First, I note that the Commonwealth, in the circumstance of a defendant’s being incarcerated in another jurisdiction, should not be held to a duty of applying for an extension pursuant to 1100(c). I would not place upon officers of our Commonwealth that section’s due diligence standard when the matter of the defendant’s appearance in court within the prescribed period is wholly outside their control and in the hands of the authorities of another jurisdiction.2
The gravamen of this case lies in the automatic exclusion from the 180-day period such time as defendant is unavailable to Pennsylvania authorities. [Pa.R.Crim.P. 1100(d)(1)]. In Commonwealth v. Richbourgh, 246 Pa.Super. 300, 369 A.2d 1331 (1977), we noted again that the general mandate of Rule 1100 is tempered by the specific qualification of section (d)(1). Therein we held that the unavailability of the defendant was caused by his having placed himself in another jurisdiction. The time there is excluded from the computation of the 180-day period.
As in Richhourgh, supra, the unfortunate situation arises that the record is incomplete as to an important date — here, the date of appellant’s return to Pennsylvania. As nearly as I can place this date, it was somewhere between January 20, 1976, and March 5,1976.3 Giving the advantage to appellant I shall for present purposes recommence the running of the 180-day period on January 20, 1976. So doing, I shall *74exclude from computation the period from March 10, 1975, to January 20, 1976, a total of 316 days. The case was disposed of March 17, 1976, or 450 days from the December 22, 1974, filing of criminal information. At least 316 days should have been excluded from the running of the period for commencement of trial, and this shall be deducted from the total, showing that trial was set the equivalent of 134 days after information, as adjusted by our holding and computation herein. It was error by the lower court to have dismissed pursuant to Rule 1100.
I would reverse, reinstate the indictment, and remand the case for trial.
WATKINS, President Judge, joins in this dissenting opinion.

. The grand jury of Westmoreland County had approved the indictment charging robbery and violation of “The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act”, respectively the “Crimes Code”, Act of 1972, Dec. 6, P.L. 1482, No. 334, 18 Pa.C.S. § 3701, and Act of 1972, April 14, P.L. 233, No. 64, 35 P.S. § 780-101 et seq.

. When our officers take no action at all to seek the return of the defendant, and an unreasonable period of time passes, then the principles espoused in Commonwealth v. Hamilton, 449 Pa. 297, 297 A.2d 127 (1972), and Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972) arise to protect the accused’s right to speedy trial. In the instant case, to the contrary, immediately upon knowing appellant’s whereabouts, a detainer was issued. There is no showing that other than prompt proceedings caused his return to Pennsylvania. Thus Pa.R.Crim.P. 1100 is the keystone of this decision, and Commonwealth v. Hamilton, supra, the precursor of the Rule 1100, is inapposite.

. The record contains the following Orders:
January 20, 1976 — Order setting case for trial on the week of March 15, 1976, due to defendant’s North Carolina incarceration. March 5, 1976 — Order scheduling defendant’s transportation from North Huntingdon Township jail to County jail.