Coleman v. Yokum

320 F. Supp. 54, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9328
District Court, E.D. Louisiana·Decided December 2, 1970·No. Civ. A. No. 69-32·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

WEST, Chief Judge:

Federal subject matter jurisdiction has been alleged and exists in this matter under the Civil Rights Act, 28 U.S.C.A. § 1343, and 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983.

Since a statutory three judge court has concluded that Article 580 of the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure, which was under attack by the plaintiff herein, is not unconstitutional, see Coleman v. Yokum, 320 F.Supp. 50, E.D.La. 1970), this matter is now before this Court to determine whether or not the plaintiff, Freeman Coleman, has, in fact, been denied his right to a speedy trial as guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Over ten years have passed since the complainant, Freeman Coleman, was arrested, after having been indicted for murder, and he has not yet been tried. As the transcript of proceedings before this Court on May 6, 1969, will show, this Court indicated that the passage of ten years between indictment and trial raised a strong presumption that complainant’s right to a speedy trial had been denied. However, a careful study of the record and of the applicable law in this case leads to a contrary conclusion.

The complainant’s history of incarceration during this ten year period follow[55]*55ing indictment, as shown by the record, may be outlined as follows:

November 13, 1959 — Arrest after grand jury indictment for murder.
January 15, 1960 — Date set for arraignment, but arraignment postponed due to illness of petitioner’s retained counsel.
February 8, 1960 — Date set for arraignment, but arraignment was again postponed. The record does not indicate the reason for the postponement, but it was so short as to hardly warrant attention.
February 12, 1960 — Again set for arraignment, and again arraignment was postponed in order to allow plaintiff’s attorney, Mr. Williams, to withdraw as counsel and to allow Douglas Nesom and Burrell J. Carter, newly court appointed counsel, to prepare; petitioner was given until March 18,1960, to file responsive pleadings.
March 18, 1960 — Petitioner was arraigned and entered a guilty plea which the State refused to accept. A plea of not guilty was entered by the Court. The case was assigned for trial on April 25, 1960, and petitioner was given until March 25, 1960 to file additional pleadings.
March 25, 1960 — Petitioner filed a motion to quash the indictment on the ground that Negroes had been systematically excluded from the general and grand jury venires.
April 14, 1960 — The motion to quash was heard and denied and petitioner filed an application for a hearing to determine his mental condition.
May 4, 1960 — A lunacy commission, appointed pursuant to petitioner’s application, reported that petitioner was mentally incapable of proceeding in that he was unable to assist counsel in his defense and recommended a formal criminal commitment.
May 12, 1960 — The state district court ordered petitioner committed to the criminal ward of the East Louisiana State Hospital at Jackson, Louisiana.
July 11, 1961 — East Louisiana State Hospital reported that petitioner was sane and able to stand trial.
July 19, 1961 — The state district court ordered petitioner transferred from the hospital to St. Helena Parish prison to await trial.
November 28, 1962 — Petitioner’s counsel applied for a hearing on petitioner’s mental condition and asked for the appointment of a second lunacy commission which was appointed on December 12, 1962. Petitioner also filed motions to quash the general, grand and petit jury venires on this date.
January 11, 1963 — The lunacy commission made its report which stated that petitioner was not capable of standing trial and recommended that he be recommitted to the East Louisiana State Hospital and that he should remain there until he could assist counsel in his defense.
January 14, 1963 — Petitioner was recommitted to Jackson.
February 12,1965 — Petitioner was discharged from East Louisiana State Hospital and returned to the jurisdiction of the state court.
April 20, 1965 — Motion by Miss Sylvia Roberts to enroll as counsel of record. It should be noted that there is some dispute over the date, terms, and conditions of Miss Roberts’ representation. But this court finds that Miss Roberts was contacted by the petitioner sometime prior to April 20, 1965, that she communicated with petitioner’s appointed counsel who offered to pay her to take the case, and that she thereafter had herself appointed by the court.
April 26, 1965 — Petitioner, through Miss Roberts, applied for a bill of particulars and requested a preliminary hearing.
June 17, 1965 — Petitioner again moved to quash the indictment on the [56]*56ground that Negroes had been systematically excluded from the several jury venires and also moved for a change of venue.
November 8, 1965 — Petitioner’s motions were heard and denied; petitioner subsequently applied to the Louisiana Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari and prohibition.
March 11, 1966 — The Louisiana Supreme Court denied the application for writs on the basis that petitioner had an adequate remedy by appeal in the event of conviction. This memorandum decision was reported as State v. Coleman, 248 La. 1028, 183 So.2d 651 (1966).
September 5, 1966 — The district attorney dismissed the first indictment against petitioner.
September 15, 1966 — Petitioner was indicted for the second time by the grand jury.
November 14, 1966 — Petitioner was in court to be arraigned, but Miss Roberts, alleging that she had just learned of the second indictment, asked the court to postpone the arraignment.
December 12, 1966 — Petitioner asked for a further delay in arraignment, until January 5,1967, in order to file additional motions. This was granted, and on the same day petitioner filed a motion to quash the second indictment on the ground of systematic exclusion of Negroes.
December 31, 1966 — Petitioner filed a motion for a thirty day continuance from January 5, 1967, the date upon which the motion was to be heard, in order to locate witnesses; this was granted and February 9, 1967, was the date set for hearing the motion to quash. This date was later replaced by the date of February 16, 1967, because of the illness of the clerk of court.
February 16, 1967 — Hearing on the motion to quash was not held as scheduled because Miss Roberts had, shortly before this time, been subpoenaed to appear before the East Feliciana Grand Jury on this date, and would be unavailable for the hearing.
No subsequent date for hearing was ever requested by complainant nor was a new date set by the Court. Shortly after this date, the then district attorney, Duncan Kemp, Esquire, died.
April 1, 1968 — Mr. Yokum, defendant herein, appointed to fill the unexpired term of the deceased Mr. Kemp,

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Coleman v. Yokum, 320 F. Supp. 54, 1970 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9328 (E.D. La. 1970).

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