Court Opinion

ID: 9884384
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-06 02:54:33.41544+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:48:38.004152
License: Public Domain

KIRSCH, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
The State took no action to notify him of the charges for four and one-third years after learning that Bowman no longer resided at the address that it had for him. There is no evidence that it made any attempt whatsoever to acquire an updated address. There is no evidence that the State even checked the records of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to determine whether Bowman had updated his address. Indeed, when Bowman did update his address with the Bureau in February 2006, the State still took no action to notify him of the charges. Had Bowman not been stopped for speeding in Illinois, this matter would still be pending with no notice to the defendant.
My colleagues hold that the State did what it reasonably could to notify Bowman of the charges. I disagree. From my perspective, the State did virtually nothing. I believe the trial court erred in determining that the four-year, four-month delay was attributable to Bowman. I would reverse the trial court’s order and remand with instructions to dismiss the pending charge.