Court Opinion

ID: 9811735
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 22:27:50.122363+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:06:36.207066
License: Public Domain

BILL VANCE, Justice,
concurring.
Two points should be made in support of our order setting bail in the amount of $10,000. First, bail was set by McLennan County authorities at $7,500 when Willie Frank Campbell was arrested and charged. This order represents bail one-third higher.
Second, because of this Court’s delay in acting on the State’s motion for rehearing, Campbell has remained in prison without bail being set, having already had his conviction reversed, for many months longer than he would have had we acted expeditiously. Because that may affect the State’s ability to retry him, we should take it into consideration. See Montalvo v. State, 786 S.W.2d 710, 711 (Tex.Crim.App. *4061989) (State’s ability to retry Appellant is a factor is setting bail after reversal).
The opinion reversing Campbell’s conviction, which began his entitlement to bail, was issued on January 8, 2003. The State requested, and received, an extension of time to file its motion for rehearing, which was ultimately filed on February 20, 2003. The motion for rehearing was not acted on by this Court until January 14, 2004, almost eleven (11) months after it was filed. This delay has been prejudicial to both Campbell and to the State, which intends to retry him.
As an appellate court, we follow certain guidelines regarding the time it should take to decide a case. The categories tracked by the Office of Court Administration are: (1) cases submitted and undecided for more than six months but less than twelve months; (2) cases submitted and undecided for more than twelve months; and (3) motions for rehearing that have been pending over thirty days. Because the State’s motion for rehearing had not been decided by March 22, 2003, it first appeared on the monthly report dated March 31, 2003. It has appeared on every monthly report since that date.