Hart v. State

1975 OK CR 74, 535 P.2d 302, 1975 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 335
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 7, 1975
DocketF-74-808
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 1975 OK CR 74 (Hart v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hart v. State, 1975 OK CR 74, 535 P.2d 302, 1975 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 335 (Okla. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

OPINION

BUSSEY, Judge:

Appellant, Gordon Gene Hart, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged, tried and convicted in the District Court, Atoka County, Case No. CRF-73-72, for the offense of Escape From a State Penitentiary, in violation of 21 O.S.1971, § 443. His punishment was fixed at a term of two (2) years’ imprisonment, and from said judgment and sentence a timely appeal has been perfected to this Court.

At the trial Robie Battles testified he was the Assistant Records Clerk at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, located at McAlester, Oklahoma. Defendant, Gordon Gene Hart, was committed to the Okla *304 homa State Penitentiary at McAlester on a Judgment and Sentence upon a plea of guilty from the District Court, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, for a term of ten (10) years for the crime of Burglary, First Degree. On October 12, 1973, defendant was confined at the McLeod Honor Farm.

Charles Davidson, Lieutenant at the McLeod Honor Farm in charge of security, testified that on October 12, 1973, he discovered that two inmates and the prison’s wench truck were missing from the Honor Farm. Upon discovering the defendant and another inmate missing, he notified the Oklahoma State Highway Patrol, the local Sheriff’s Office, and the local Police Department. Davidson further testified that the next time he saw the defendant and the other inmate was at the City Marshal’s Office in Boswell, Oklahoma.

Frank Edge, City Marshal of Boswell, Oklahoma, testified that on October 12, 1973, he apprehended two missing inmates who were driving a prison wench truck. They were apprehended approximately six miles south and one mile east of Boswell, Oklahoma. Edge identified the defendant as one of the two inmates he apprehended on October 12, 1973. He (Edge), later that same day, turned the two inmates over to the custody of the officers from the McLeod Honor Farm.

Pete Anderson, Correction Officer at the McLeod Honor Farm, testified that on October 12, 1973, he participated in a search for two inmates missing from the Honor Farm. Anderson further testified that he took the* two inmates into custody from the City Marshal of Boswell, Oklahoma. Defendant was one of the inmates which he took into custody.

The defendant testified in his own behalf that he did leave the Honor Farm, but only because he was forced to leave by inmate Johnny Miller. He and Miller were apprehended by the City Marshal of Boswell, Oklahoma.

Johnny Miller, an inmate at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, testified that on October 12, 1973, he was preparing to escape from the McLeod Honor Farm when the defendant walked up and observed that he was preparing to escape. He then forced the defendant, by sticking a screwdriver in his side, to accompany him in his bid to escape in the prison farm wench truck. Miller, at the time of escape, was serving a term of thirty (30) years and a term for life imprisonment. Miller further testified that he knew the defendant but they were not buddies.

Charles Davidson was recalled in rebuttal and testified that he had observed the defendant and Miller prior to their escape. He stated that they appeared to be friends and “chummed up to eat together, and things like that.”

Defendant’s first proposition asserts the trial court erred in overruling defendant’s Motion to Dismiss by reason of denial of a speedy trial. Defendant contends that his case was ready for trial on April 2, 1974, and a jury panel was present, but his case was not tried until the next jury term and, therefore, he was denied the right to a speedy trial.

The record reveals that the defendant was arrested on October 12, 1973, and charged by Information for the crime of Escape From a State Penitentiary on October 15, 1973. Defendant was bound over for trial on December 6, 1973. On February 20, 1974, defendant filed a Motion for Psychiatric Examination, same being sustained on February 22, 1974. Evaluation of psychiatric examination was received on March 19, 1974. On April 15, 1974, all parties appeared and, without objection by the defendant, the court set defendant’s trial for May 14, 1974. Trial in the case was had on May 14, 1974. Nowhere in the record before this Court do we find that the defendant announced ready for trial on April 2, 1974, nor does the record reveal that there was a jury panel available on this date to try the defendant’s case. However, even assuming arguendo that defendant did announce ready for trial on April 2, 1974, and there was a jury panel *305 available to try him, the defendant has failed to meet the burden assigned to him of showing that the delay was the fault of the State and what prejudice, if any, attached to him as a result of this delay. See, Kuerschner v. State, Okl.Cr., 493 P.2d 1402 (1972) and Ex parte Wilkerson, 73 Okl.Cr. 32, 117 P.2d 172 (1941). Further, this Court in Murdock v. State, Okl.Cr., 512 P.2d 1392 (1973), in dealing with a similar proposition and citing with approval Broadway v. State, Okl.Cr., 494 P.2d 331 (1972), stated:

“In dealing with a similar proposition in Broadway v. State, Okl.Cr., 494 P.2d 331 we stated:
“ ‘ . . .In other words, the defendant contends the presence of a jury panel to try his cause constitutes a term of court, and a continuance beyond the period that particular petit jury panel is present, is a violation of a constitutional guarantee. ‘““Terms of court,” used as a measure to determine if a defendant has received a speedy trial, were legally abolished. It cannot be said each of the district courts of the State of Oklahoma may establish their own so-called “terms of court” simply by the impanelling of a petit jury. The issue of speedy trial is discussed in Coggins v. Shumate, Okl.Cr., 401 P.2d 995 (1965), wherein this Court held:
“ ‘ “Generally speaking, a ‘speedy trial’ is one conducted according to prevailing rules, regulations, and proceedings of law free from arbitrary, vexatious and oppressive delays. The right does not require a trial immediately upon arrest, or the filing of an indictment or information; but 'requires that the trial be had as soon as reasonably possible, within the statutory requirements, without depriving the prosecution of a reasonable time to prepare for trial.” ’ ”

We therefore find this proposition to be without merit.

Defendant’s second proposition asserts the trial court erred in denying his Motion for Mistrial based on the fact that a uniformed, armed guard was present in the courtroom throughout the trial of his case.

The record reveals that the first time the defendant objected to the uniformed guard’s presence was after both the State and the defendant rested. Therefore, it is our opinion that any error was waived for failure to timely object to the presence of the uniformed officer. Further, the defendant has failed to show how he was prejudiced. See, Snow v. State of Oklahoma, 10 Cir., 489 F.2d 278 (1973). In the instant case there was no indication during the trial that defendant was in custody of the uniformed officer, or that he was in shackles, or that anything occurred during the trial to indicate the defendant was in custody of the uniformed officer.

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Related

Johnson v. State
761 P.2d 484 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1988)
VanWoundenberg v. State
1986 OK CR 81 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1986)
Leigh v. State
1985 OK CR 41 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1985)
Mayhan v. State
1985 OK CR 32 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1985)
Smith v. State
1983 OK CR 19 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1983)
Roberts v. State
1977 OK CR 166 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1977)
Lee v. State
560 P.2d 226 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1977)
Daniels v. State
1976 OK CR 326 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1976)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1975 OK CR 74, 535 P.2d 302, 1975 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 335, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hart-v-state-oklacrimapp-1975.