Kirvin v. State

394 S.W.3d 550, 2011 WL 1818420, 2011 Tex. App. LEXIS 3661
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 13, 2011
DocketNo. 05-09-00734-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 394 S.W.3d 550 (Kirvin 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
Kirvin v. State, 394 S.W.3d 550, 2011 WL 1818420, 2011 Tex. App. LEXIS 3661 (Tex. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion By

Justice FITZGERALD.

Appellant was convicted of robbery. Appellant pleaded true to the second paragraph of the indictment, and the jury assessed his punishment at twenty years’ imprisonment plus a $500 fine. We affirm.

Speedy Trial Under the IADA

In his first issue, appellant contends that, because the trial took place after the expiration of 120 calendar days, he was [553]*553denied a speedy trial under the Interstate Agreement on Detainers Act, Tex.Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 51.14, art. IV (West 2006) (“IADA”). Appellant argues that the continuances he requested did not delay the trial.

Background

Appellant was indicted on September 25, 2007 for the offense of aggravated robbery. While a prisoner in New Mexico, appellant mailed a handwritten motion to dismiss to the trial court.1 This motion alleged an IADA Article III violation, that is, the failure to try appellant within 180 days based on his request for a speedy trial in Texas. Pursuant to a state detain-er and request for temporary custody, appellant was transferred from a New Mexico prison to the Dallas County jail. On the date of trial, appellant filed a second motion to dismiss. The second motion alleged an IADA Article IV violation, that is, the failure to try appellant within 120 days based on the State’s request to try appellant. This appeal concerns only the alleged Article IV violation.

In order to address appellant’s contention, we arrange the major events in chronological order based upon docket entries, documents in the record, and statements of counsel and the trial court.

September 30, 2008: first motion to dismiss (alleged violations of Article III of IADA and appellant’s federal constitutional right to a speedy trial)
October 6, 2008: appointment of counsel for appellant
October 7, 2008: first of two pass slips; court-appointed counsel in Dallas agreed to continue case for jury trial to December 8, 2008
December 4, 2008: appellant arrived at Dallas County jail
December 8, 2008: demand for speedy trial (appellant “demand(ed) that his case be set for trial immediately”) and motion to dismiss (alleged violations of appellant’s federal and state constitutional rights to a speedy trial)2
December 11, 2008: defense continuance of motion to dismiss
January 22, 2009: defense continuance of motion to dismiss
January 29, 2009: defense continuance of motion to dismiss
February 4, 2009: defense continuance of motion to dismiss
February 5, 2009: second of two pass slips; counsel agreed to continue case to February 12, 2009 for hearing on motion to dismiss
February 12, 2009: hearing on first motion to dismiss (Article III claim); motion to dismiss denied; jury trial set for July 13, 2009
April 6, 2009: counsel agreed to advance the jury trial to June 8, 2009
June 8, 2009: second motion to dismiss (alleged violation of Article IV of IADA) heard prior to jury selection; motion denied; jury trial commenced.

The record includes two pass slips addressed to the trial court. The pass slips listed various purposes for the continuances sought.3 Both pass slips were signed by counsel for the State and for [554]*554appellant, and were, on their face, agreed requests for continuance.

At the February 12, 2009 hearing on the first motion to dismiss, appellant stated he had not had sufficient time to obtain the necessary evidence from the New Mexico authorities to support his Article III claim and wanted to pursue out-of-state subpoenas.4 The State replied that appellant’s efforts would “circumvent the clearly-enumerated provisions of the Interstate Agreement on Detainers” and that “we need to proceed with” trial. The State opposed any further delay. The trial court denied the motion and stated that “[t]he next step is for the case to be set for trial, if that’s the Defense’s option. But, at this time, Defense has not met its burden.” The case was continued to July 18, 2009 for jury trial. However, on April 6, 2009, the jury trial date was moved up by agreement to June 8, 2009.

On the day of trial, the trial court heard appellant’s second motion to dismiss wherein appellant raised his Article IV claim. Appellant argued his trial had not commenced until after the statutory 120-day period expired in violation of his right to a speedy trial under the LADA and that the first motion to dismiss based on other grounds had not delayed the jury trial. Appellant also stated counsel for both parties had previously agreed to move up the scheduled July 2009 jury trial date to June 8, 2009.5 The State responded that on several occasions between December 2008 and February 2009, appellant had not been ready for the hearing on his motion. The court noted five continuances caused by appellant — four of which were during the relevant period and caused by his motions to dismiss.6 Appellant responded that he “in no way caused a delay as far as the jury trial.”7 The trial court denied the [555]*555motion to dismiss, concluding that, as early as December 8, 2008, appellant did not request a jury trial, but instead requested a hearing on his pretrial motion to dismiss. The case proceeded to trial.

Issue

We must determine whether appellant’s agreements and requested continuances tolled the 120-day statutory period.

Analysis

We review the trial court’s ruling de novo. State v. Miles, 101 S.W.3d 180, 183 (Tex.App.-Dallas 2003, no pet.); State v. Sephus, 32 S.W.3d 369, 372 (Tex.App.Waco 2000, pet. ref'd).8

The IADA is a congressionally sanctioned compact between the United States and the states, including Texas, that have adopted it. Miles, 101 S.W.3d at 183. The statute’s purpose is “to provide for the speedy disposition of charges filed in one jurisdiction against prisoners who are serving sentences in another jurisdiction.” Morganfield v. State, 919 S.W.2d 731, 733 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 1996, no pet.) (quoting Birdwell v. Skeen, 983 F.2d 1332, 1335 (5th Cir.1993)). The IADA is a federal law subject to federal construction. New York v. Hill, 528 U.S. 110, 111, 120 S.Ct. 659, 145 L.Ed.2d 560 (2000). The IADA has been described as a measure enacted to “avoid prosecutorial delay.” Ex parte Saylor, 734 S.W.2d 55, 57 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1987, no pet.).

The IADA may be invoked by either the prisoner or the State. Under Article III of the IADA, the return and trial of the out-of-state prisoner are invoked by the prisoner himself. Tex.Code CRiM. Proc. art 51.14, art. 111(a).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
394 S.W.3d 550, 2011 WL 1818420, 2011 Tex. App. LEXIS 3661, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kirvin-v-state-texapp-2011.