Court Opinion

ID: 9723843
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 10:35:30.03865+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:52.603592
License: Public Domain

DeBRULER, Justice —
concurring.
A nunc pro tunc entry is “an entry made now of something which was actually previously done, to have effect as of the former date.” Perkins v. Hayward (1892), 132 Ind. 95, 31 N.E. 670. The office of such an entry is to make the record reflect the character, terms, and conditions of true action taken. Cook v. State (1941), 219 Ind. 234, 37 N.E.2d 63. Here, there never was an action taken or event recorded, even if one chooses to credit the first nunc pro tunc entry for June 20, 1983, which evidences such a congested court calendar, as would demonstrate that there was not sufficient time to try appellant before the expiration of the early trial time frame in August. Certainly the fact that the court ran other trials during the remaining part of that time frame does not so demonstrate. Since any court’s calendar can be filled constantly with legitimate court matters, the prioritizing purpose of Criminal Rule 4, would be lost entirely if that demonstration were deemed sufficient. The trial court’s second nunc pro tunc entry recognizes this purpose of the rule when it states that two of the three intervening trials were of murder charges. I know of no separate legal requirement that murder charges be given precedence over the serious felony charges presented by this case. Furthermore, there is no attempt to justify the running of the third trial which is not characterized in the order, rather than appellant’s trial. All court rules exist and are enforced at a cost, since they are applied by a human institution. Appellant’s discharge here is such a cost.
SHEPARD, J., concurs.