Court Opinion

ID: 9797292
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 04:17:49.792824+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:54:20.161229
License: Public Domain

Cherry, J.,
concurring:
I just want to make it perfectly clear how I view the jurisprudence set forth in Turpin v. Sheriff, 87 Nev. 236, 484 P.2d 1083 (1971), and the amendment identified as NRS 174.085 as an exception to bar another prosecution for the same offense following dismissal of an action where there is no other information or indictment pending for that offense.
The big distinction between using Turpin to allow the State to prosecute a defendant when it has elected, between two pending forms of prosecution and not allowing the State to pursue an election between two pending forms of prosecution in accordance with NRS 174.085 is when the dismissal occurs either before the subsequent form of prosecution is obtained or after the subsequent form of prosecution is obtained by the State.
If the State files a criminal complaint or information, then dismisses the case, and subsequently indicts the defendant on the same charge or charges, NRS 174.085 comes into play to bar the subsequent prosecution for the same offense or offenses, unless good cause is shown to the court and upon written findings and a court order to that effect. However, if the dismissal occurs when *818both forms of prosecution are still pending NRS 174.085 is not applicable.
Finally, I want prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys to know that if a criminal complaint or information is filed and then the defendant is indicted on the same charges and additional charges, Turpin applies if the criminal complaint or information is dismissed and NRS 174.085 would not be applicable nor would dismissal by the court of the indictment be proper.