People v. Carroll

939 P.2d 452, 20 Brief Times Rptr. 1027, 1996 Colo. App. LEXIS 189, 1996 WL 350877
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 27, 1996
Docket94CA1777
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 939 P.2d 452 (People v. Carroll) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Carroll, 939 P.2d 452, 20 Brief Times Rptr. 1027, 1996 Colo. App. LEXIS 189, 1996 WL 350877 (Colo. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

Opinion by

Judge MARQUEZ.

Defendant, James M. Carroll, appeals from the district court’s order denying his motion pursuant to Crim. P. 35(c) in which he alleged that the court erred in denying his earlier motion to dismiss a theft charge brought against him. The motion to dismiss was based on the People’s failure to bring the defendant to trial within the limitation period outlined in the Interstate Agreement on De-tainers (IAD), § 24-60-501, C.R.S. (1988 Repl.Vol. 10B). We affirm.

In June 1992, defendant was charged in El Paso County with one count of felony theft. After the date upon which this offense allegedly occurred but before he was arrested, defendant left the state and returned to Texas where he was arrested and incarcerated for an auto theft committed before he came to Colorado. In April 1993, a detainer was filed against him by El Paso County officials.

Defendant subsequently made a demand for speedy disposition of the detainer pursuant to the provisions of the IAD, and on July 13,1993, Texas prison officials forwarded the necessary paperwork to El Paso County in order to complete defendant’s demand for speedy disposition of the detainer. However, defendant’s request and accompanying Texas paperwork were sent to the El Paso County District Court and the El Paso County Sheriffs Department, rather than the court and the prosecuting officer as required by article III of the IAD. Nothing was sent to the El Paso County District Attorney.

An extradition specialist in the Sheriffs office received the Texas forms. She testified that she was not familiar with the terms of the IAD, did not know what the forms were for, and, therefore, put the paperwork into a file and did not take any action on the defendant’s request. One of the three Texas forms sent to the Sheriffs office contained the following language:

If jurisdiction over this matter is properly in another agency, court or office, please designate the proper agency, court or officer and return this form to the sender.

In late October 1993, an extradition specialist in the El Paso County District Attorney’s office received information about defendant’s case from the trial court indicating that there could be a detainer issue outstanding. This prompted the extradition specialist to look into the matter, and she ultimately discovered the Texas paperwork in the court file on November 18, 1993. Subsequently, she initiated the paperwork necessary to have the defendant brought from Texas to Colorado for the disposition of the outstanding detainer.

A preliminary hearing was initially set for December 31,1993. On that date the preliminary hearing was waived, and a trial date was set for February 28, 1994. At the time the trial date was set, defense counsel, who had been appointed to represent defendant one week earlier, noted that there might be an IAD speedy trial issue in the case. She told the court she would need to do some research to determine whether such an issue existed.

On January 31, 1994, defendant, through counsel, filed a motion to dismiss based on the People’s failure to bring him to trial within the limitation period outlined in the IAD. He argued that he had fully complied with the provisions of the Act by delivering the appropriate paperwork to the court and the sheriffs office on July 13,1993.

It was defendant’s position that the prosecuting officer within the meaning of the IAD is the person or agency who lodges the de- *454 tainer. In this case that agency was the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department. Hence, according to defendant, the People’s failure to bring him to trial by January 9, 1994, 180 days after the paperwork was received in El Paso County, was a violation of the terms of the IAD and required dismissal of the theft charge against him.

The trial court disagreed. Concluding that strict compliance with the provisions of the IAD was required, the court ruled that delivery of the paperwork to the sheriffs office as opposed to the district attorney’s office was insufficient to trigger the protections of the Act. Accordingly, the motion was denied.

In March 1994, defendant entered a plea of guilty to theft. In August 1994, he then moved to vacate the judgment of conviction asserting, inter alia, that his conviction by guilty plea did not waive his argument that the speedy trial provision of the IAD was violated and that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to enter a judgment of conviction. The prosecution stood on the court’s prior ruling and information submitted previously. The trial court considered the argument and denied the motion stating that the sheriff was not a prosecuting officer.

Defendant contends the court erred in denying his motion to dismiss. However, the People assert that defendant waived any IAD claim by pleading guilty. We agree with the People.

The IAD, which governs interstate detain-er eases, was enacted in order to “encourage the expeditious and orderly disposition of [untried] charges and determination of the proper status of any and all detainers based on untried indictments, informations, or complaints.” Section 24-60-501(1), C.R.S. (1988 RepLVol. 10B).

Article III of the IAD provides procedures by which a prisoner confined in a correctional facility other than in Colorado must be promptly informed of the source and content of any detainer lodged against him. The prisoner must also be informed of his right to request final disposition of the charges on which the detainer is based. Section 24-60-501(III)(c), C.R.S. (1988 Repl.Vol. 10B). If a prisoner does make a request for final disposition of the charges, he must be brought to trial within 180 days unless a continuance is granted for good cause shown. Section 24-60-501(III)(a), C.R.S. (1988 Repl. Vol. 10B).

A voluntary guilty plea waives all non-jurisdictional defenses. People v. Sandreschi, 849 P.2d 873 (Colo.App.1992) (protections of statute barring subsequent prosecution waived by guilty plea entered after denial of motion to dismiss). As noted in People v. Moody, 676 P.2d 691 (Colo.1984), IAD rights are non-jurisdictional and can be waived. Thus, by pleading guilty, a defendant can waive his rights under the IAD.

We first reject defendant’s argument that because the People did not raise the assertion of waiver before the trial court, they are precluded from raising the issue on appeal.

Even if we assume the issue of waiver must be raised before the trial court, here, that did occur. Defendant, in his motion to vacate judgment of conviction filed pursuant to Crim. P. 35(c)(2)(III), admitted that in March 1994 he entered a guilty plea and was sentenced. In that motion he specifically asserted, inter alia, that his conviction by guilty plea did not waive his argument that the speedy trial provision of the IAD was violated. In support, defendant cited People v. Mueller, 851 P.2d 211 (Colo.App.1992).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
939 P.2d 452, 20 Brief Times Rptr. 1027, 1996 Colo. App. LEXIS 189, 1996 WL 350877, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-carroll-coloctapp-1996.