People v. Jones

482 N.W.2d 207, 192 Mich. App. 737
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 3, 1992
DocketDocket 123438
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 482 N.W.2d 207 (People v. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan 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. Jones, 482 N.W.2d 207, 192 Mich. App. 737 (Mich. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

Connor, J.

Defendant was convicted of one count of being an accessory to murder, MCL 750.505; MSA 28.773, and received a sentence of forty to sixty months on July 14, 1989. At the time he was brought to trial in this case on charges of first-degree murder, MCL 750.316; MSA 28.548, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, MCL 750.227b; MSA 28.424(2), defendant was serving time for federal convictions in a federal prison in Arizona. Defendant previously had filed in this Court an application for leave to appeal, Docket No. 117956, from the trial court’s order of June 2, 1989, denying his motion to dismiss before trial began. This Court denied leave to appeal. We now remand this matter to the trial court for additional proceedings.

On appeal, defendant again challenges the trial court’s denial of his motion to dismiss the charges, arguing that he was entitled to dismissal on the basis of the prosecution’s failure to comply with the Interstate Agreement on Detainers (iad), MCL 780.601; MSA 4.147(1), by failing to bring him to trial within 120 days after his arrival in this state from Arizona. Specifically, defendant argues that the trial court erred in concluding that the parties met in February 1989, before the expiration of the *739 120-day time period, and informally agreed to a trial date of June 8, 1989, and that this agreement constituted a waiver of trial within the 120-day period. Furthermore, defendant argues that the trial court miscounted the days involved, by not including the days from December 16, 1988, to January 13, 1989, in the 120-day period. Because of our decision, we need not address the latter issue at the present time.

Chronologically, defendant was brought to Michigan to face the charges on September 22, 1988. He was arraigned in district court on September 25, 1988. On October 7, 1988, he was bound over for trial, after a preliminary examination had been held. An arraignment on the information was conducted on October 28, 1988. The arraignment originally had been scheduled for October 21, 1988, but was apparently adjourned by the court because the defendant had been charged in two new cases.

On December 9, the defendant filed numerous motions pertaining to this case and to another case, which involved several codefendants. On December 16, the court began an evidentiary hearing, and defendant’s motions were consolidated with similar motions filed by the codefendants in the other case. Defendant did not object at the December 16 hearing to proceeding jointly with the other defendants’ motions until the end of the hearing, when a continuance was granted to accommodate an attorney for one of the other defendants. Defendant’s attorney would not concur in the adjournment, but he did not object to the adjournment because of the time constraints contained in the iad. The evidentiary hearing was adjourned on other dates in January and February 1989 because the trial judge was ill. On February 10, 1989, the prosecution was not ready to proceed because witnesses were unavailable. On March 3, *740 1989, the evidentiary hearing resumed, testimony was elicited, and the matter was continued to March 17, 1989. The March 17, 1989, hearing was adjourned, at the request of the prosecution, after some testimony had been taken. On April 6, 1989, the evidentiary hearing was concluded, and some reference was made to a pending trial date of June 8, 1989.

In reviewing the record to determine if the 120-day limit was violated in this case, the trial court calculated that 176 days had elapsed from the time defendant was brought to this state until he filed his motion to dismiss under the iad and concluded that the delay was attributable to the prosecution.

The Court: The record should reflect an extended in camera conference held between the Court, Mr. Hood [the prosecutor], Mr. Collins [defense counsel], Mr. Jones, the Defendant, and attended by the officer in charge.
The Court: . . . The result of that in camera conference was that the Court has determined that the dates between September 22nd and October 21st, 1988 for statute purposes, are charged to the State of Michigan and total 29 days. That the dates from October 28th to December 9th, 1988 are chargeable to the State and total 42 days. That the dates January 13th to February 10th are chargeable to the State and total 28 days. That the dates February 10th through March 3rd are chargeable to the State and total 21 days. That the dates March 3rd through March 17th are chargeable to the State, totaling 13 days. That the dates from April 6th through May 19th, the date of the filing of the instant motion are chargeable to the State and total 43 days. Sum total: 176 days.
That a trial date of June 8th, 1989 was set at sometime on or prior to April 6th, 1989 and it *741 remains to be determined on what date that trial date was settled upon as being the operative date as to whether or not the provisions of the statute barring prosecution apply.

Although this period extended beyond the 120-day limit, it was not clear at what point during the 176-day period the trial date was set for June 8, 1989. After numerous discussions and an adjournment for the parties to look into the issue, the trial court held that the June trial date was set on February 22, 1989. In making its decision, the court relied on the journal of daily court activities. No transcript of the discussion in February 1989 concerning a trial date could be located, and, apparently, that discussion was held off the record.

[The Court:] In view of the discussions and calculations, arguments and rulings, that the Court made, I don’t think I can classify them as rulings since they weren’t on the record, but they were indication of the Court’s determination as to what dates were chargeable to the State either through the prosecution or the Court itself, that that trial date having been set, was set by agreement of the parties within — the agreement to that trial date was set within the 120 day period. All parties concerned with regard to this matter are on notice, were then and are now of the 120 day rule. The agreement to a trial date at a time period subsequent to the expiration of that 120 day period has, in this Court’s opinion, as it has indicated to you in chambers and rules now, operates as a waiver.
Per force [sic] the motion to dismiss for failure to comply with the 120 day rule of the Interstate Agreement on Detainers being MCL 780.601 et seq. is denied.

The trial of this matter began on June 8, 1989.

The iad is intended to act as a vehicle for *742 cooperation between the states, including the federal government, to prevent prejudice to prisoners by promoting speedy trials when charges are pending in other jurisdictions. People v Bentley, 121 Mich App 36, 40; 328 NW2d 389 (1982); People v Browning, 104 Mich App 741, 748, 752-753; 306 NW2d 326 (1981), aff'd on rehearing 108 Mich App 281; 310 NW2d 365 (1981).

Defendant relies upon article IV(c) of the iad in arguing that he was not timely tried.

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Related

People v. Jones
495 N.W.2d 159 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1992)

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Bluebook (online)
482 N.W.2d 207, 192 Mich. App. 737, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-jones-michctapp-1992.