Court Opinion

ID: 9597618
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:00:58.540031+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:38.831246
License: Public Domain

Justice MOORE
dissenting.
The record before us discloses an unlawful and intentional killing of a human being by an individual who was on parole from a seven to ten year sentence for the unlawful killing of another human being, albeit his conviction in that case was for involuntary manslaughter. Defendant’s parole has been revoked and he is now serving the sentence imposed for the first killing. Hence, he has not been deprived of his liberty by reason of the delay in bringing the present case to trial.
As stated in the majority opinion, “. . . deprivation of a speedy trial does not per se prejudice the ability of the accused to defend himself; it is impossible to determine precisely when the right has been denied; it cannot be said precisely how long a delay is too long; there is no fixed point when the accused is put to a choice of either exercising or waiving his right to a speedy trial. . . .” Furthermore, as stated in the majority opinion, “The main factors which the court must weigh in determining whether an accused has been deprived of a speedy trial are (1) the length *145of the delay, (2) the cause of the delay, (3) waiver by the defendant, and (4) prejudice to the defendant.”
Defendant first filed a written motion in January 1976 to dismiss the case because of the delay in bringing it to trial. Prior to this motion, defendant’s counsel had only made informal, oral inquiries as to when the case would be tried.
On 3 March 1976, McKinnon, J., entered an order denying defendant’s motion to dismiss for lack of a speedy trial “without prejudice to the defendant’s right to show new circumstances when the case is calendared for trial,” and ordered the case calendared for trial on or before the 3 May 1976 session of court.
When the case was called for trial at the 9 August 1976 session, defendant renewed his motion to dismiss. Judge McLelland, in denying this motion, stated:
“[T]hat trial was calendared for April 12, 1976, but not held and the case not called for trial; that defendant’s counsel was unavailable for trial; that during the month of June, Judge McKinnon extended the time specified in his order of March 30 [March 3], 1976, for the trial of the action and the evidence is not sufficient to support a finding by this court as to whether such extension was to a limited time; that the trial was next calendared for this session, August 9, 1976; that all of the witnesses alleged to be material, save Anna Pearl Wright, are available at the session; that Anna Pearl Wright is regarded by defendant as a material and crucial witness and there is no showing that Anna Pearl Wright was not available at the April 12, 1976 Session; that there is no sufficient showing that Anna Pearl Wright is a crucial witness.”
Judge McLelland then concluded:
“WHEREFORE, the court concludes that the delay in calendaring trial from April 12, 1976, until this date, a period of four months, was not a violation of the March 30 [March 3], 1976 order of Judge McKinnon requiring trial by May third; and further that such delay has not been shown to be unreasonable; that possible prejudice to the defendant from the unavailability of the witness, Anna Pearl Wright, has not been shown to be due to the delay in rescheduling trial *146following April 12, 1976; that the failure to determine the materiality of the several witnesses mentioned in defendant’s motion for a material witness order has not been shown to be due to the failure of the State to act nor to a deliberate effort by the State to harass or prejudice the defendant; that the delay in rescheduling trial after April 12, 1976, until this date is not constitutionally unreasonable and prejudicial to the defendant such as to warrant dismissal of the action.”
All of defendant’s witnesses, with the exception of Anna Wright, were present and available at trial but defendant elected not to offer testimony. We can only conjecture whether Anna Wright would have been called to testify had she been present.
The first written motion to dismiss for denial of a speedy trial was filed in January 1976. This motion was denied on 3 March 1976, and defendant was tried at the 9 August 1976 session, some seven months after the first written motion was filed, and some five months after that motion was denied. Under these circumstances, I do not believe sufficient prejudice has been shown to justify the release of this twice-convicted killer.
I agree with the majority that defendant is not entitled to any relief under G.S. 15-10.2(a).
I vote to affirm the Court of Appeals.
Chief Justice SHARP joins in this dissent.