Davila v. State

871 S.W.2d 806, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 88, 1994 WL 12069
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 20, 1994
DocketNos. 13-92-554-CR, 13-92-556-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 871 S.W.2d 806 (Davila v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davila v. State, 871 S.W.2d 806, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 88, 1994 WL 12069 (Tex. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

OPINION

FEDERICO G. HINOJOSA, Jr., Justice.

We issued our opinion in these two cases on January 13, 1994. We withdraw our January 13, 1994, opinion and substitute the following as the opinion of the court.

This is the second appeal of these two cases. Appellant was indicted in Cause No. 13-92-556-CR for illegal possession of cocaine, and in Cause No. 13-92-554-CR the State sought to revoke his probation from a previous conviction. In both cases, appellant filed pretrial motions to suppress the evidence obtained by search warrant, and, after a hearing, the trial court denied the motions. Appellant waived a jury, and, on April 7, 1988, without a plea bargain, pleaded guilty to the possession charge and pleaded true to the allegation in the motion to revoke probation. In each case, the trial court assessed punishment at ten years’ confinement, the sentences to run concurrently. Appellant then brought his first appeal.1 On February 9, 1989, we issued our opinion and held that appellant’s pleas were not voluntarily or knowingly entered, reversed both judgments, and remanded both cases to the 148th District Court of Nueces County for trial.

After remand, the 148th District Court transferred both cases to the 28th District Court of Nueces County. On June 15, 1989, the 28th District Court called the possession case for trial. Appellant and the State announced ready, and the appellant informed the court that he wanted to reurge his motions to suppress the evidence. The trial court stated that appellant’s motions to suppress would be carried along with the trial. Appellant entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of unlawful possession of cocaine and waived a jury trial. Appellant and the State agreed and stipulated that the trial court could consider all of the evidence from the [809]*809original suppression hearing and trial, including all of the exhibits, except for the judicial confession. Both sides rested and closed. The trial judge informed the parties that he was scheduled for vacation and that, since he needed time to review the evidence, he would recess the case and take it under advisement. The trial judge stated that his court manager was attending a seminar and that, as soon as she returned, he would ask her to reset the case during July 1989 and to provide notice to the parties. At the time, appellant was not in custody.

The court did not resume the proceedings until September 16, 1992, some 39 months later. In the interim, 1) appellant’s counsel died, 2) appellant was placed on probation in Uvalde County for an offense which he committed on May 21, 1990, and 3) appellant was convicted of a federal offense in October 1990, for which he was ordered confined in a federal correctional institution for 22 years.

Appellant filed, in both cases, amended motions to suppress the evidence, motions to identify the informant, and motions to dismiss the indictment based on U.S. Constitution speedy trial grounds. Appellant also filed a motion for a “Franks”2 hearing in the possession case. The trial court denied appellant’s motions. The court found appellant guilty in the possession case and assessed punishment at 18 years’ confinement and a $5,000.00 fine. The court also revoked appellant’s probation and imposed the original sentence of 10 years’ confinement and added a $10,000.00 fine. The trial court ordered both sentences to run concurrently and concurrently with the federal sentence.

By four points of error, appellant complains that the trial court erred by refusing to dismiss the indictment after he moved for a speedy trial, by denying appellant’s motion for a “Franks” hearing, by assessing greater sentences after remand than the sentences assessed at the original sentencing, and by failing to grant his amended motions to suppress the evidence. We affirm the trial court’s judgment.

By his first point of error, appellant complains that the trial court erred by failing to grant his motion to dismiss the indictment. He asserts that the 39 month delay denied him his right to a speedy trial under Article I, § 10 of the Texas Constitution and the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.3

The United States Supreme Court has developed a four-part balancing test to be used in determining whether an accused has been denied a speedy trial:

1) the length of the delay,
2) the reason for the delay,
3) the defendant’s assertion of his speedy trial right, and
4) prejudice to the defendant from the delay.

Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 530, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 2192, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972). The Supreme Court stated:

the rule we announce today, which comports with constitutional principles, places the primary burden on the courts and the prosecutors to assure that cases are brought to trial.

Barker, 407 U.S. at 529, 92 S.Ct. at 2191. The Court of Criminal Appeals has applied the Barker balancing test in determining whether a defendant has been denied his state speedy trial right. Harris v. State, 827 S.W.2d 949, 956 (Tex.Crim.App.1992). The delay in commencement of the trial must be of sufficient length to be presumptively prejudicial before a review of the remaining three factors is triggered. Barker, 407 U.S. at 532 n. 31, 92 S.Ct. at 2192 n. 31.

We have found no other case similar to the instant case. The record reflects that over 39 months elapsed from the time the State and defense rested and closed to the time the trial court rendered its judgment. Although there is no precise length of delay which automatically constitutes a violation of the right to a speedy trial, in the interest of [810]*810justice, we will presume prejudice and review the facts of this case in light of the remaining three Barker factors.

This case is significantly different from the usual speedy trial cases where a lengthy delay between indictment and trial is justified in light of legitimate continuances or venue transfers. See County v. State, 812 S.W.2d 303, 310 (Tex.Crim.App.1989); Hart v. State, 818 S.W.2d 430, 437 (Tex.App.— Corpus Christi 1991, no pet.). The delay in this case did not occur between indictment and commencement of trial. The case was timely called for trial and both sides rested and closed. The record does not indicate a deliberate attempt by the prosecution to delay the proceedings. The 39 month delay occurred because the trial court recessed the case and took it under advisement. The record reflects no other reason for the delay. Even though the State offers no justification for the delay, we find no evidence in the record that the delay was intentional.

The appellant’s assertion of his speedy trial right is entitled to strong eviden-tiary weight in determining whether he was deprived of the right, but “failure to assert the right ... make(s) it difficult for a defendant to prove he was denied a speedy trial.” Barker, 407 U.S. at 531-32, 92 S.Ct. at 2193.

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Bluebook (online)
871 S.W.2d 806, 1994 Tex. App. LEXIS 88, 1994 WL 12069, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davila-v-state-texapp-1994.