Esperti v. State

276 So. 2d 58
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMarch 21, 1973
Docket71-930
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 276 So. 2d 58 (Esperti v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Esperti v. State, 276 So. 2d 58 (Fla. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

276 So.2d 58 (1973)

Anthony ESPERTI, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Florida, Appellee.

No. 71-930.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.

March 21, 1973.
Rehearing Denied May 3, 1973.

*61 Richard M. Gale, Miami, for appellant.

Robert L. Shevin, Atty. Gen., and George R. Georgieff, Asst. Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, for appellee.

LILES, Judge.

Esperti was indicted for first degree murder in January, 1968. His first trial resulted in a mistrial on March 4, 1969. The trial from which this appeal is taken was begun on October 11, 1971, in Polk County, following a change of venue from Dade County where the crime occurred.

Esperti primarily urges that he was denied his right to a speedy trial under the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution, Florida Statute § 915.01 (now repealed) and Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure 3.191, 33 F.S.A. (formerly CrPR 1.191), otherwise referred to as the "speedy trial rule."

A reading of the record reveals that appellant has not languished in prison for three and one half years without benefit of judicial process. There has been continuous litigation in either the trial court, district court or the supreme court throughout this time. However, this fact does not bar a more precise application of the law in his favor if it appears his rights have been denied.

First, we must examine his right under the Sixth Amendment as construed in Dickey v. Florida, 398 U.S. 30, 90 S.Ct. 1564, 26 L.Ed.2d 26 (1964). During the course of this pending litigation one of the witnesses died and appellant now maintains that he was a material witness. A reading of the record would indicate that he was not a material witness. In Dickey the defendant languished in jail without benefit of judicial process for some eight years. We do not here suggest that eight years must elapse for constitutional speedy trial rights to accrue. The decision in Dickey is distinguishable on its facts and particularly when viewed under the present CrPR 3.191. The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution does not fix a number of days certain within which a defendant must be tried but simply provides that the accused "shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial... ." What is and is not a speedy trial has been set forth in many cases and turns generally upon what happened between the time the defendant was indicted and the time he was tried. Further, Dickey concludes that no valid reason existed for his delay in construing the right of speedy trial under the Sixth Amendment. Here, valid reasons have been advanced for certain delays of his trial. Therefore, we conclude that appellant's Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial was not violated.

Next we look to F.S. § 915.01 and the cases decided under it. It is not contested that the appellant filed the necessary demands for speedy trial in three successive terms of court. The appellant filed demands during the spring and fall terms of 1969 and the spring term of 1970. It *62 has been held under F.S. § 915.01 that actions by either party which cause automatic stays of trial court proceedings will also toll the running of the speedy trial statute. Carroll v. State, 251 So.2d 866, 871 (Fla. 1971); Meeks v. State, 250 So.2d 854, 856 (Fla. 1971); Bryant v. Blount, 261 So.2d 847 (1st D.C.A.Fla. 1972). In the instant case, prior to the first demand for speedy trial, the State had appealed the granting of a motion to suppress by the appellant. The appeal was taken in January of 1969 and disposed of in March of 1969, three days after the beginning of the spring term of court. Florida Statute § 924.071, F.S.A., authorizes the State to appeal motions to suppress which are granted to defendants. It also provides for an automatic stay of trial court proceedings during the pendency of the appeal. Thus, the trial court was without jurisdiction to try the case during portions of the spring term of 1969 and the fall term of 1968. For this reason these two terms of court may not be counted in determining whether the appellant was denied a speedy trial under the statute.

This in itself would be sufficient reason to conclude that appellant was not denied his statutory speedy trial rights. Nevertheless, there is still another reason sufficient to draw this conclusion. As stated previously, the appellant was tried some two months after indictment and this proceeding resulted in a mistrial. It was held in Ruester v. Turner, 250 So.2d 264 (Fla. 1971), that a mistrial is a trial sufficient to satisfy F.S. § 915.01. See, also, State ex rel. Gayle v. Dowling, 91 Fla. 236, 107 So. 267 (Fla. 1926). The Florida Supreme Court further held that once such a trial has occurred the statute becomes inapplicable in the case and further speedy trial problems must be decided by federal constitutional principles. Further, the court held that the trial court may exercise its discretion in deciding later speedy trial problems. We have already stated that we do not believe the appellant was denied his constitutional right to a speedy trial. The trial judge in this case exercised his discretion and was justified in delaying action on the case inasmuch as there were several petitions and appeals pending during much of the time and it appeared that the appellant was not prejudiced by the delay in the defense of his case.

Florida's speedy trial rule, then CrPR 1.191, took effect on March 1, 1971. We have concluded that the appellant had accrued neither constitutional nor statutory speedy trial rights by the effective date of the rule. Thus, there were no rights which might have been preserved by the rule. See, CrPR 3.191(i)(3). The rule provided that prisoners in custody prior to its effective date were to be tried before September 27, 1971, or be discharged. It should be noted that the rule contemplates the effect of mistrials in Section 3.191(g). Nevertheless it is clear that the mistrial in this particular case is not affected by nor does it affect the rule, having occurred some three years previously.

It must be presumed that there existed a need for the rule in order to insure against prisoners languishing in jail without benefit of a fair trial. The rule provides that certain circumstances may justify extensions of the time periods set out therein. Although prisoners in custody before the rule should have been tried before September 27, 1971, such prisoners were nevertheless subject to these extensions as well as those judicially imposed on the rule.

Certain circumstances, nevertheless, in this case occurring prior to the effective date of the rule should be examined to determine whether the appellant has been denied a speedy trial. Prior to the rule's existence the appellant moved to compel disclosure by the State. The motion was granted and the State subsequently moved to continue the cause while it brought a petition for certiorari contesting the order granting disclosure. While this petition was pending the appellant moved to dismiss the case, claiming a denial of speedy trial rights under the statute. This motion *63 was denied and the appellant petitioned for prohibition in this court. Subsequently, the State's petition was disposed of. Nevertheless, the appellant brought a petition for certiorari to the Florida Supreme Court contesting the denial of prohibition by this court. This petition was brought some 30 days after the order of this court. Certiorari was granted by the Florida Supreme Court on February 8, 1971.

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Bluebook (online)
276 So. 2d 58, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/esperti-v-state-fladistctapp-1973.