Haney v. State

977 S.W.2d 638, 1998 WL 255037
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 2, 1998
Docket2-96-586-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 977 S.W.2d 638 (Haney 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
Haney v. State, 977 S.W.2d 638, 1998 WL 255037 (Tex. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinions

OPINION

CAYCE, Chief Justice.

I. INTRODUCTION

A jury found appellant, Clarence W. Haney, guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child and sentenced him to life in prison on both counts. In ten points, appellant complains that the trial court erred in denying his motion to set aside the prosecution for the State’s violation of his right to a speedy trial; that the trial court erred in allowing the introduction of multiple extraneous offenses pursuant to article 38.37 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure because appellant was indicted before that statute took effect; and that the evidence is insufficient to support a finding that appellant is guilty of indecency with a child in Tarrant County. We will affirm.

II. BACKGROUND FACTS

Appellant began sexually abusing R.H., the daughter of his then-girlfriend, M.H., in January 1992, when the couple resided in Amarillo. The abuse continued after their marriage and through June 1992 when appellant moved M.H. and R.H. and her brother to Tarrant County. On July 29, 1992, after [641]*641already having abused R.H. four or five times since the move to Tarrant County, appellant took R.H. to a park and attempted to have oral and anal sex with her. That night, R.H. told her mother about the frequent abuse. Her mother contacted the police and left appellant.

Appellant was arrested on August 26,1992 and indicted on September 24, 1992 on charges of sexual assault and indecency with a child. The State announced ready the same day of the indictment. A year passed without trial and, on October 18,1993, appellant filed a motion in limine covering extraneous offenses. Four months later, on February 24, 1994, appellant filed a motion for speedy trial. On September 6, 1994, he was sent to prison in an unrelated case. Tarrant County did not place a detainer on him and, on January 12, 1996, he was released on mandatory supervision to Potter County where he lived with his father. On July. 25, 1995, after realizing appellant was not in jail, Tarrant County issued an arrest warrant for appellant. The warrant was not executed until March 30, 1996 when appellant was arrested in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On June 25, 1996, appellant filed a motion to set aside the prosecution for violation of his right to a speedy tidal. On August 26, 1996, the trial court heard and denied appellant’s motion to set aside the prosecution, granted appellant’s original motion for speedy trial, and granted appellant’s motion in limine. Appellant’s trial began immediately after-wards.

III. SPEEDY TRIAL CLAIM

Appellant’s first point alleges the trial court erred in denying his motion to set aside the prosecution for violation of his right to a speedy trial. The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which applies to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment, guarantees the right to a speedy trial. See Klopfer v. North Carolina, 386 U.S. 213, 223-24, 87 S.Ct. 988, 993-94, 18 L.Ed.2d 1, 8 (1967).1 To determine whether an accused has been denied the right to a speedy trial, the trial court employs the balancing test first enunciated in Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 530, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 2192, 33 L.Ed.2d 101, 116-17 (1972). Barker dictates that a trial court must consider four factors: 1) length of the delay; 2) reason for the delay; 3) defendant’s assertion of the right; and 4) prejudice to the defendant resulting from that delay. Id.

A. Standard of Review

This court recently held that “we must conduct the Barker balancing test de novo.” Clarke v. State, 928 S.W.2d 709, 713 (Tex.App.—Fort Worth 1996, pet. ref d) (op. on reh’g). The court of criminal appeals has subsequently agreed that de novo review is the proper standard when reviewing a trial court’s ruling on a motion for speedy trial. See Johnson v. State, 954 S.W.2d 770, 771 (Tex.Crim.App.1997). Therefore, we will review this case de novo.

B. Barker Analysis

1. Length of the Delay

Under Barker, the trial court must first measure the length of the delay. Although no specific length of time triggers a speedy trial analysis, the court of criminal appeals has noted that some courts presume that a delay of eight months or longer is prejudicial. See Harris v. State, 827 S.W.2d 949, 956 (Tex.Crim.App.), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 942, 113 S.Ct. 381, 121 L.Ed.2d 292 (1992). In other cases, delays of three to four years have been upheld as not violating a defendant’s right.2 See Phipps v. State, 630 S.W.2d 942, 946 (Tex.Crim.App. [Panel Op.] 1982); Swisher v. State, 544 S.W.2d 379, 381 (Tex.Crim.App.1976), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 1038, 97 S.Ct. 734, 50 L.Ed.2d 749 (1977).

[642]*642In the instant ease, appellant was indicted on September 24, 1992. He filed his motion for speedy trial on February 24,1994, but his trial did not begin until August 26, 1996. While the State asserts that the relevant period for consideration is approximately three years because appellant was not in custody for parts of 1995 and 1996, it concedes that this delay triggers a speedy trial analysis.

2. Reason for the Delay

Once a court determines that the length of the delay triggers a speedy trial analysis, it is the State’s burden to show an adequate reason why the delay should be excused. See Phillips v. State, 650 S.W.2d 396, 400 (Tex.Crim.App.1983); Turner v. State, 545 S.W.2d 133, 137-38 (Tex.Crim.App.1976). In discussing this prong, the Barker Court stated:

[D]ifferent weights should be assigned to different reasons. A deliberate attempt to delay the trial in order to hamper the defense should be weighed heavily against the government. A more neutral reason such as negligence or overcrowded courts should be weighed less heavily but nevertheless should be considered since the ultimate responsibility for such circumstances must rest with the government rather than with the defendant.

Barker, 407 U.S. at 531, 92 S.Ct. at 2192, 33 L.Ed.2d at 117.

In the case before us, the State announced ready the same day appellant was indicted, but trial was postponed and reset nine separate times. Then, two years after indictment, appellant was released without detainer from the Tarrant County Jail to serve prison time on an unrelated case. Another two years passed before appellant was finally brought to trial. The State offers no excuse for this delay other than appellant’s evasive actions and docket congestion. However, appellant did not evade arrest until three years after he was indicted, and an overcrowded docket does not justify a three-year delay in bringing a case to trial. See Clarke, 928 S.W.2d at 714. Accordingly, the State did not meet its burden of showing an excuse for the delay, and the delay weighs against the State.

3.

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977 S.W.2d 638, 1998 WL 255037, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/haney-v-state-texapp-1998.