Roderick v. State

858 P.2d 538, 1993 Wyo. LEXIS 138, 1993 WL 306568
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 16, 1993
Docket92-35
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 858 P.2d 538 (Roderick v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Roderick v. State, 858 P.2d 538, 1993 Wyo. LEXIS 138, 1993 WL 306568 (Wyo. 1993).

Opinions

BROWN, Justice (Retired).

This appeal is from the judgment and sentence of the Eighth Judicial District Court entered on January 2, 1992, convicting appellant, Jonathan Lee Roderick, of felony murder, aggravated burglary and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

The issues are:

I.Whether appellant was provided a speedy trial?
II. Whether the State disclosed all constitutionally material exculpatory evidence?
III. Whether the trial court properly declined to suppress appellant’s inculpa-tory. statements?
IV. Whether the prosecutor was innocent of any misconduct?
V. Whether an opinion of appellant’s guilt was offered at trial?
VI. Whether photographs of appellant’s victim were properly admitted?
VII. Do consecutive sentences imposed for felony murder and the underlying felony merge for purposes of punishment?

We affirm.

Appellant Jonathan Roderick, age 15, was convicted of murdering Calvin Dillon, age 85, who resided in the vicinity of Glen-rock, Wyoming. Roderick was no stranger to criminal activity, having been in the juvenile justice system since age 11.

■ On the evening of March 1, 1991, Roderick armed himself with a semi-automatic pistol and went to the home of Mr. Dillon, intending to steal. While the theft was in progress, Roderick shot Mr. Dillon twice. He later dragged the body to Mr. Dillon’s truck and eventually dumped it amongst the trash on abandoned rural property. Roderick then quit the scene of the dumping with the victim’s truck.

It seems that the counsel of Mr. Justice Frankfurter in Johnson v. United States, 318 U.S. 189, 202, 63 S.Ct. 549, 555, 87 L.Ed. 704 (1943) is particularly appropriate in this case and sets the tone of our review.

In reviewing criminal cases, it is particularly important for appellate courts to re-live the whole trial imaginatively and not to extract from episodes in isolation abstract questions of evidence and procedure. To turn a criminal appeal into a quest for error no more promotes the ends of justice than to acquiesce in low standards of criminal prosecution.

[542]*542I.

An information was filed May 7, 1991, and appellant was arraigned a week later. A trial that resulted in Roderick’s conviction commenced November 4, 1991, some 181 days after filing of the information.

Rule 204(b) Uniform Rules for the District Courts provides for a trial within 120 days after filing the information or indictment. This rule is advisory only. Phillips v. State, 774 P.2d 118, 122 (Wyo.1989); Phillips v. State, 835 P.2d 1062, 1069 (Wyo.1992). Rather than set a mandatory time in which a trial is to be accomplished, courts consider multiple factors ,in determining the speedy trial question. In Osborne v. State, 806 P.2d 272, 277 (Wyo.1991) (citations omitted), we said:

Our speedy trial analysis is well established. We use the balancing test for evaluating speedy trial challenges that the United States Supreme Court formulated in Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 530, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 2192, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972). This test requires us to look at: (1) the length of the delay; (2) the reason for the delay; (3) the defendant’s assertion of her right; and (4) the prejudice to the defendant. We consider all four factors together and balance them in relation to all relevant circumstances.

The speedy trial clock begins to run upon arrest or when the complaint is filed. Id.

Initially, charges were filed against Roderick in the juvenile court. After a hearing held April 23, 1991, the charges against Roderick were transferred to the district court. A criminal complaint was filed against the appellant April 29, 1991. On May 6, 1991, he waived a preliminary hearing and an information was filed and served May 7, 1991. His motion to consolidate charges was granted and Roderick was arraigned on May 15, 1991.

As would be expected in a case of this magnitude, numerous motions were filed by Roderick resulting in more than a few proceedings before the court. Among the motions filed by Roderick was a motion for discovery and inspection dated June 11, 1991. This motion was followed by a motion to suppress and motion to dismiss filed June 17, 1991. After the June 17 motions, other motions were made at regular intervals, including: amendment to motion to dismiss, another motion to dismiss, motion for reconsideration of motions to dismiss, several motions in limine, motion to compel attendance of a witness, motion to disqualify prosecuting attorney, motion to quash search warrant, and another motion to dismiss.

The first trial date was originally set for August 19, 1991, but was re-set for September 23, 1991. The trial was again postponed thirty days “to allow the Defense an opportunity to investigate the material they have received in discovery.” The October 22, 1991 trial resulted in a mistrial.1

The progress of this case through the judicial system from filing the information to trial was 181 days. More than half of this 181 days is attributable to appellant. We do not fault appellant for filing numerous motions. Certainly a first degree murder case with two other charges is more complex than a single count larceny case. The only thing that the prosecution may have done to delay trial is fail to fully comply with the first discovery order. This is an arguable matter, however. Not only were most delays attributable to appellant, but most likely he benefitted by those delays. The delays provided him with broader and more extensive discovery access to [543]*543the State’s files than he would otherwise have had. Although . Roderick’s trial was delayed, the reasons for the delay not attributable to him are mostly neutral. Appellant did not vigorously assert his right to a speedy trial, and although he had the benefit of counsel, he never pressed for an earlier setting. In fact, appellant did not show in writing, as contemplated by Rule 204(e) Uniform Rules of the District Courts, how a delay might prejudice his defense. He has shown no prejudice caused by the delay. These considerations lead us to conclude that appellant’s right to a speedy trial was not violated.

II.

Appellant contends in this issue that the state’s failure to disclose exculpatory evidence deprived him of a fair trial. More specifically, he states that the tardy disclosures violated the Brady rule and deprived him of a speedy trial. The prosecution has the obligation to provide evidence in its possession that is both favorable to the accused and material to guilt or punishment. United States v. Agurs, 427 U.S. 97, 96 S.Ct. 2392, 49 L.Ed.2d 342 (1976); Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). In Brady,

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Bluebook (online)
858 P.2d 538, 1993 Wyo. LEXIS 138, 1993 WL 306568, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roderick-v-state-wyo-1993.