Court Opinion

ID: 9625441
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 07:41:08.156122+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:06:08.722909
License: Public Domain

Miller, J.,
dissenting: I disagree with the dismissal as to defendants Cuezze and Houston, and therefore respectfully dissent.
This is not a case in which the prosecution has dismissed and refiled charges solely to thwart the running of the 180-day period fixed by K.S.A. 1978 Supp. 22-3402(2). I agree that such conduct should not be permitted, else pending charges could be maintained ad infinitum,.
Houston and Cuezze were arraigned on May 20 and June 13, 1977, respectively. Many motions, filed by the defendants, were argued. Meanwhile the prosecutor diligently pursued the investigation, held an inquisition, and moved to require the defendants to provide handwriting exemplars. The defense motions and the State’s motion for exemplars were ruled upon by the trial court on July 19. Promptly thereafter the State determined that one charge against Houston and Cuezze should be dropped, and that Faltico should be joined as a defendant. The joinder would avoid separate lengthy and expensive trials.
The machinery employed to accomplish this purpose was that of dismissal of the first case and the commencement of a new one. The trial court found that no actual prejudice to the defense was demonstrated, and that the delay (resulting from the dismissal and the new filing) was not caused by the State to hamper the defendants or for any questionable purpose.
The prosecution acted reasonably and in good faith in this unusual and difficult case. Under the circumstances, I do not believe the ends of justice are served by tying the two cases together and summarily determining that the allowable 180-day period has been exceeded. Even if the cases are tied together for the purpose of computing the time, the 180-day period has not expired. It was 97 days from Cuezze’s arraignment in the first case until dismissal, 120 days for Houston. From the date of arraignment on the new information on January 19, 1978, for Houston, and January 20 for Cuezze, it was only 27 or 28 days until February 16, when the State announced ready for trial. Defendants are responsible for the delay of trial after that date. Certainly the charges could not have been tried between the time the first *284case was dismissed and the defendants were arraigned in the present proceeding, yet the majority and the trial judge apparently include that entire period in their computation.
I would reverse the trial court’s order dismissing the charges as to defendants Houston and Cuezze.
McFarland, J., joins in above dissent.