People v. Cavitt

616 N.E.2d 666, 246 Ill. App. 3d 514, 186 Ill. Dec. 476, 1993 Ill. App. LEXIS 1048
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJuly 9, 1993
Docket5-92-0107
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 616 N.E.2d 666 (People v. Cavitt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Cavitt, 616 N.E.2d 666, 246 Ill. App. 3d 514, 186 Ill. Dec. 476, 1993 Ill. App. LEXIS 1048 (Ill. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinions

JUSTICE WELCH

delivered the opinion of the court:

This case involves the interpretation and application of the speedy trial statute, and particularly subparagraph (e) thereof, which provides:

“If a person is simultaneously in custody upon more than one charge pending against him in the same county, or simultaneously demands trial upon more than one charge pending against him in the same county, he shall be tried, or adjudged guilty after waiver of trial, upon at least one such charge before expiration relative to any of such pending charges of the period prescribed by subsections (a) and (b) of this Section. Such person shall be tried upon all of the remaining charges thus pending within 160 days from the date on which judgment relative to the first charge thus prosecuted is rendered ***; if either such period of 160 days expires without the commencement of trial of, or adjudication of guilt after waiver of trial of, any of such remaining charges thus pending, such charge or charges shall be dismissed and barred for want of prosecution unless delay is occasioned by the defendant ***.” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, par. 103-5(e).)

Subsection (a) of the statute provides that every person in custody shall be tried within 120 days from the date of being taken into custody. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, par. 103 — 5(a).) Subsection (b) provides that every person on bail or recognizance shall be tried within 160 days from the date he or she demands trial. Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, par. 103 — 5(b).

This appeal is brought by the People of the State of Illinois (hereinafter the State) from an order of the circuit court of St. Clair County, dated January 22, 1992, dismissing a charge of first-degree murder against the defendant, Leamon R. Cavitt, Jr., for violation of his right to a speedy trial. The State argues that, pursuant to subparagraph (e) of the speedy trial statute, it had additional time in which to try defendant because he was in simultaneous custody on the murder charge and an unrelated drug charge or, alternatively, he had made simultaneous demands for trial on both the murder and drug charges. The State argues that it had 160 days from the date judgment was rendered on the drug charge in which to try defendant on the murder charge. Because we agree with the State, we reverse the order of the circuit court of St. Clair County dismissing with prejudice the first-degree murder charge against defendant, and we remand this cause for further proceedings thereon.

On March 16, 1990, a “Criminal Complaint” was filed in the circuit court of St. Clair County charging defendant with first-degree murder. Defendant was taken into custody on that date and was held without bond. On April 6, 1990, a bill of indictment was returned charging defendant with first-degree murder and superseding the criminal complaint previously filed. On May 7, 1990, defendant posted bond on the murder charge and was released from jail.

On June 3, 1991, defendant filed a written demand for a speedy trial on the murder charge. Subsequently, the State filed several motions for continuances because of its inability to locate a material and crucial witness. These motions were granted.

On November 6, 1991, 156 days after defendant’s demand for speedy trial, the State filed a motion to continue the case for 60 days pursuant to section 103 — 5(c) of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. That section of the speedy trial statute allows the State to apply for a 60-day continuance of the speedy trial period where it has unsuccessfully exercised due diligence to obtain material evidence and there are reasonable grounds to believe that the evidence may be obtained at a later date. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, par. 103 — 5(c).) The State’s motion for continuance alleges that on May 25, 1991, defendant had been arrested for an unrelated drug offense and that he had remained in custody on that charge since that date. The motion argues that after defendant was taken into custody on the drug charge, he was simultaneously demanding trial on both the murder and the drug charges, and that having tried the defendant within 120 days of his having been taken into custody on the drug charge, the State had an additional 160 days from the date of judgment in the drug case to try defendant for murder. The motion sought a continuance of 60 days because of the State’s inability to locate a material and crucial eyewitness to the murder.

On November 7, 1991, defendant moved for dismissal of the murder charge for the reason that the State had denied him his right to a speedy trial. On that same date, the State’s motion for a continuance of 60 days was granted to allow the State additional time to locate the material witness.

On January 22, 1992, defendant filed a motion to dismiss the murder charge for violation of his right to a speedy trial. The motion argues that defendant has never been in simultaneous custody upon more than one charge in that he has been free on bond on the murder charge. The motion notes that at no time had the State sought to place defendant in simultaneous custody on the murder and drug charges by moving to revoke defendant’s bond on the murder charge.

On January 22, 1992, a hearing was held on defendant’s motion to dismiss. The State indicated that it had been unable to locate a material witness. The State argued that upon being placed in custody on the drug charge, defendant was demanding a speedy trial simultaneously with his demand for speedy trial on the murder charge. Defendant had been tried on the drug charge within 120 days of having been taken into custody and had been sentenced on that charge on November 25, 1991. Thus, the State had 160 days from November 25, 1991, to try defendant on the murder charge.

Defendant pointed out that he had never demanded a speedy trial on the drug charge and that, in fact, defendant had repeatedly sought continuances of that trial. Thus, defendant argued, there was no simultaneous demand for a speedy trial. The State responded that as long as defendant is in custody he is implicitly demanding trial. The court acknowledged that defendant had not demanded trial on the drug charge and had in fact wished to have the murder charge tried first. Defendant also argued that the State could have placed defendant in simultaneous custody by moving to revoke his bond on the murder charge, but the State had failed to do so. The court granted defendant’s motion to dismiss. The State filed its notice of appeal on February 14,1992.

Before addressing the State’s argument that defendant was in simultaneous custody or, alternatively, that he made simultaneous demands for speedy trial on the murder and drug charges, there is a preliminary matter which we must address. Defendant argues that this court is without jurisdiction to hear the State’s appeal because the State failed to file a motion asking the trial court to reconsider its decision. Defendant relies on People v. Macke (1992), 224 Ill. App. 3d 815, 587 N.E.2d 1113, in which this court held that defendant’s failure to file a motion to reduce his sentence as required by section 5— 8 — 1(c) of the Unified Code of Corrections (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, par. 1005 — 8—1(c)) precludes defendant’s appeal of his sentence.

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People v. Cavitt
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
616 N.E.2d 666, 246 Ill. App. 3d 514, 186 Ill. Dec. 476, 1993 Ill. App. LEXIS 1048, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-cavitt-illappct-1993.