Dunaway v. Commonwealth

60 S.W.3d 563, 2001 Ky. LEXIS 201, 2001 WL 1485863
CourtKentucky Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 21, 2001
Docket1999-SC-0886-MR
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 60 S.W.3d 563 (Dunaway v. Commonwealth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Kentucky Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dunaway v. Commonwealth, 60 S.W.3d 563, 2001 Ky. LEXIS 201, 2001 WL 1485863 (Ky. 2001).

Opinion

JOHNSTONE, Justice.

Appellant, James Frank Dunaway, appeals his convictions from Jefferson Circuit Court of two counts of first-degree robbery and of being a first degree persistent felony offender. In this matter of right appeal, Dunaway argues that these convictions should be dismissed with prejudice because his right to a speedy trial— as articulated in KRS 500.110, Section 11 of the Kentucky Constitution, and the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution — was violated. We hold that Appellant’s right to a speedy trial was not violated and, accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

On June 26, 1998, Dunaway was arrested for his involvement in a series of armed robberies in Jefferson County. Russell Riggs and Terrence Tabb were also arrested in connection with the robberies. On August 27, 1998, the three men were indicted on three counts each of robbery in the first degree. In addition to the robbery charges, Dunaway was also charged with persistent felony offender in the first degree. Both co-defendants were charged with various other crimes.

At the time of his arrest, Dunaway was on parole for a prior offense. Consequently, Dunaway was returned to the North-point Training Center 1 to serve out his *565 term of imprisonment for the previous offense while awaiting trial on the new charges. Dunaway was arraigned on September 8,1998.

On September 14,1998, Dunaway filed a pro se motion for a speedy trial in Jefferson Circuit Court. The motion asserted that a detainer had been filed against him at Northpoint and that he had a right to be tried on the robbery charges within 180 days of his motion pursuant to KRS 500.110. Although the certificate of service indicates that a copy of the motion was served by mail, the Commonwealth denies receipt. On September 17, 1998, Dunaway’s attorney filed a “Request for Final Disposition,” which also relied on KRS 500.110.

On November 9, 1998, Dunaway made a motion to suppress statements due to the Commonwealth’s failure to provide discovery. Dunaway also made a motion for bond reduction, which had been set at $50,000, full cash. Trial was set for November 18,1998.

Because Dunaway, Riggs, and Tabb were all represented by attorneys employed by the Jefferson District Public Defender, a possible conflict of interest existed. Riggs and Tabb both signed waivers permitting multiple representation. Dunaway refused to sign a waiver.

On November 18, 1998, Dunaway was appointed private counsel. Due to a conflict in the trial court schedule, the case was passed to December 7, 1998, for a pretrial conference and bond hearing. At the pretrial conference, the trial date was rescheduled to March 17, 1999, and bond reduction was denied.

On January 8, 1999, Dunaway again made a motion for bond reduction. The motion was denied. Later that month Dunaway served out his term at North-point for the prior offense, but he was not released because he could not post bond for the offenses in the present case.

On February 8, 1999, counsel for co-defendant Tabb made a motion to reschedule the trial due to a professional training seminar. The court ordered the trial rescheduled to April 14,1999.

On March 22, 1999, Dunaway filed a “Motion to Dismiss Indictment Pursuant to KRS 500.110 and Demand for Speedy Trial.” On that date, the court heard brief arguments, but ultimately passed the motion to March 24, 1999, for a full hearing. At the hearing of March 24, the trial court denied the motion.

On March 26, 1999, co-defendant Tabb entered a guilty plea. Riggs followed suit on April 14, 1999. On that date, on Duna-way’s motion, the trial was reassigned to June 9, 1999. On June 9, 1999, Dunaway again made a motion to reschedule due to insufficient discovery and confusion in the trial court’s schedule. The trial was reassigned to August 10,1999.

On July 12, 1999, the Commonwealth moved to reschedule the trial so that the prosecutor could attend a seminar. The court reassigned the trial to August 17, 1999, which is the date the jury trial began. Dunaway was ultimately convicted of two counts of robbery; he plead guilty to one count of first-degree persistent felony offender.

Statutory Right to Speedy Trial Under KRS 500.110

Dunaway first argues that his conviction was obtained in violation of KRS 500.110, which requires, generally, that a person serving a prison term within the state must be tried on any new indictment which causes a detainer to issue within 180 days *566 after proper notice by the prisoner. Dun-away asserts both that he complied with the notice provisions of the statute 2 and that the statute applies to him because the detainer was lodged against him while he was incarcerated. The trial court found to the contrary on both points. As to the latter issue, the trial court found that KRS 500.110 was not available to Dunaway because he served out his prior sentence during the 180-day time period of the statute, which requires “continuance of the term of imprisonment.” Dunaway contends that his release from his prison term, subsequent to the detainer, should not disqualify him from the protection of the statute. We agree with the trial court. Because this issue is dispositive, we address it alone.

The right to a speedy trial is an important right that receives constitutional protection. See United States Constitution, Amendment Six; Kentucky Constitution, § 11. The right to a speedy trial can be even more important to prisoners who have new indictments brought against them if those indictments result in a de-tainer being lodged. (A detainer is “a request filed by a criminal justice agency with the institution in which a prisoner is incarcerated, asking the institution to either hold the prisoner for the agency or to notify the agency when release of the prisoner is imminent.” Carchman v. Nash, 473 U.S. 716, 105 S.Ct. 3401, 87 L.Ed.2d 516 (1985)). The General Assembly, recognizing this heightened need, provided some prisoners with additional guarantees to a speedy trial when it enacted KRS 500.110:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Michael Dennison v. Commonwealth of Kentucky
Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2025
Keith Bradley v. Commonwealth of Kentucky
Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2024
Eric Berry v. Commonwealth of Kentucky
Kentucky Supreme Court, 2023
Archie Lee Williams v. Commonwealth of Kentucky
Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2023
Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Joshua Morsch
Kentucky Supreme Court, 2023
David W. Trent v. Commonwealth of Kentucky
Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2022
Brett A. Smith v. Commonwealth of Kentucky
Kentucky Supreme Court, 2021
Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Lashawn Montez Hickman
Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2021
Commonwealth of Kentucky v. James Neal Hensley
Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2020
Henderson v. Commonwealth
563 S.W.3d 651 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2018)
Goben v. Commonwealth
503 S.W.3d 890 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2016)
Tackett v. Commonwealth
445 S.W.3d 20 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2014)
Darcy v. Commonwealth
441 S.W.3d 77 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2014)
Goncalves v. Commonwealth
404 S.W.3d 180 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2013)
Smith v. Commonwealth
361 S.W.3d 908 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
60 S.W.3d 563, 2001 Ky. LEXIS 201, 2001 WL 1485863, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dunaway-v-commonwealth-ky-2001.