State v. Billman

2008 MT 326, 194 P.3d 58, 346 Mont. 118, 2008 Mont. LEXIS 481
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 23, 2008
DocketDA 06-0753
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 2008 MT 326 (State v. Billman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Billman, 2008 MT 326, 194 P.3d 58, 346 Mont. 118, 2008 Mont. LEXIS 481 (Mo. 2008).

Opinions

[119]*119JUSTICE LEAPHART

delivered the Opinion to the Court.

¶1 The State of Montana appeals from the District Court’s order granting Bernard Richard Billman’s motion to dismiss for violation of his right to speedy trial in the Thirteenth Judicial District, Yellowstone County. We affirm.

¶2 We restate the issue as follows:

¶3 Did the District Court err when it granted Billman’s motion to dismiss for violation of his speedy trial right?

BACKGROUND

¶4 On January 27, 2006, Bernard Richard Billman (Billman) was arrested and jailed for driving under the influen ce of alcohol, a felony; driving while his driving privileges were suspended or revoked, a misdemeanor; and operating a motor vehicle without proof of liability insurance, a misdemeanor. The District Court set Billman’s bond at $7,000 and set Billman’s trial for June 19, 2006.

¶5 The District Court signed an order on June 29, 2006, continuing Billman’s trial date to August 21,2006, based on conflicts in the court’s docket. On August 25, 2006, the State moved to reset the trial for a date after October 1, 2006, because the State’s primary witness, the arresting officer, was unavailable due to training. The District Court then set a trial date for October 30, 2006, but later changed the date to November 1, 2006, due to docket control.

¶6 On October 30,2006, the prosecutor, defense counsel, and Billman appeared in court for a hearing on pretrial motions. Defense counsel orally moved to dismiss the case based on a violation of Billman’s speedy trial right. The District Court set a hearing on the motion for November 1, 2006, and rescheduled the trial date for December 4, 2006.

¶7 On November 1,2006, the District Court orally granted Billman’s speedy trial motion and released Billman from incarceration. The State subsequently appealed. While the State’s appeal was pending, we established a new framework for evaluating speedy trial claims in State v. Ariegwe, 2007 MT 204, 338 Mont. 442, 167 P.3d 815. In light of the Ariegwe decision, we remanded this case to the District Court to enter findings of fact and conclusions of law pursuant to the Ariegwe analysis. The District Court conducted a speedy trial analysis and again granted Billman’s motion to dismiss for violation of his right to speedy trial. The State appeals.

[120]*120STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶8 Whether a defendant has been denied the right to a speedy trial presents a question of constitutional law. Ariegwe, ¶ 119. We review de novo a district court’s legal conclusions to determine whether the court correctly interpreted and applied the law. Ariegwe, ¶ 119. We will not disturb the factual findings underlying a speedy trial ruling unless the findings are clearly erroneous. Ariegwe, ¶ 119. A finding is clearly erroneous if it is not supported by substantial credible evidence, if the district court misapprehended the effect of the evidence, or if our review of the record convinces us that the district court committed a mistake. Ariegwe, ¶ 119.

DISCUSSION

¶9 Did the District Court err when it granted Billman’s motion to dismiss for violation of his speedy trial right?

¶10 The State maintains that the District Court erred in granting Billman’s motion to dismiss under speedy trial grounds. The State acknowledges that the underlying facts are “straightforward and mostly undisputed,” but argues that the District Court failed to engage in the balancing process that Ariegwe and Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 92 S. Ct. 2182 (1972) require.

¶11 The United States Constitution and the Montana Constitution guarantee criminal defendants the right to a speedy trial. U.S. Const, amend. VI; Mont. Const, art. II, § 24. Our test to determine whether an accused has been denied the right to speedy trial rests on the Montana Constitution. Ariegwe, ¶ 35. We consider four factors when presented with a speedy trial claim: the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, the accused’s responses to the delay, and prejudice to the accused. Ariegwe, ¶¶ 106-111. We then balance the four speedy trial factors to determine whether the accused has been denied the speedy trial right. Ariegwe, ¶ 112. Each factor’s significance varies based on the particular case’s unique facts and circumstances. Ariegwe, ¶ 105.

¶12 A. The speedy trial factors

1. The length of the delay

¶13 The State argues that the District Court incorrectly analyzed the first speedy trial factor. The State maintains that the short delay between the speedy trial triggering date and the trial date did not weigh in favor of Billman’s speedy trial motion.

¶14 A court addressing a speedy trial claim must first determine whether 200 days have elapsed between the accusation and the trial [121]*121date. Ariegwe, ¶ 41. If this 200-day threshold passes, a presumption of prejudice arises that pretrial delay has prejudiced the accused. Ariegwe, ¶ 56. A court must then consider the delay extending beyond the 200-day trigger date. Ariegwe, ¶ 62. As the pretrial delay increases, the presumption increases that the delay has prejudiced the accused and the State’s burden to justify the delay under the second speedy trial factor increases. Ariegwe, ¶ 62.

¶15 The District Court determined that the delay exceeded 200 days and that the first factor thus weighed in favor of granting Billman’s speedy trial motion. The court relied on two calculations to determine the amount of delay: (1) the interval between the triggering date and the date that the court granted Billman’s motion to dismiss, which the District Court calculated to be seventy-seven days, and, alternatively, (2) the interval between the accusation and the date of the court’s second order dismissing Billman’s case, which the District Court calculated to be 711 days. Regarding the court’s second calculation, any delay associated with the State’s initial appeal bears no relevance to Billman’s speedy trial claim. Following the court’s order, no criminal charges were pending against Billman, nor was he subjected to actual restrictions on his liberty, and thus, the speedy trial guarantee no longer applied. U.S. v. MacDonald, 456 U.S. 1, 8, 102 S. Ct. 1497, 1502 (1982); U.S. v. Loud Hawk, 474 U.S. 302, 310-11, 106 S. Ct. 648, 653-54 (1986).

¶16 Though the District Court correctly determined that further speedy trial analysis had been triggered, the court failed to examine the intensifying effect of the delay beyond the triggering date. To examine the intensifying effect, a court must first determine the proper speedy trial timeframe; courts generally consider the interval between accusation and the scheduled trial date or the date on which an accused pleads guilty, whichever date reflects the case’s disposition. Ariegwe, ¶ 43; State v. Ellenburg, 2000 MT 232, ¶ 16, 301 Mont. 289, ¶ 16, 8 P.3d 801, ¶ 16.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. W. Redd
2026 MT 30 (Montana Supreme Court, 2026)
State v. C. Meeks
2020 MT 67N (Montana Supreme Court, 2020)
State v. Kurtz
2019 MT 127 (Montana Supreme Court, 2019)
State v. Heath
2018 MT 318 (Montana Supreme Court, 2018)
State v. Mayes
2016 MT 305 (Montana Supreme Court, 2016)
State v. Velasquez
2016 MT 216 (Montana Supreme Court, 2016)
State v. Krenning
2016 MT 202 (Montana Supreme Court, 2016)
State v. R. Butterfly
2016 MT 195 (Montana Supreme Court, 2016)
State v. David Zimmerman
2014 MT 173 (Montana Supreme Court, 2014)
Schaeffer v. State
2014 MT 162N (Montana Supreme Court, 2014)
State v. Redlich
2014 MT 55 (Montana Supreme Court, 2014)
State v. MacGregor
2013 MT 297 (Montana Supreme Court, 2013)
State v. Steigelman
2013 MT 153 (Montana Supreme Court, 2013)
State v. Stops
2013 MT 131 (Montana Supreme Court, 2013)
State v. Burns
2011 MT 167 (Montana Supreme Court, 2011)
State v. Sartain
2010 MT 213 (Montana Supreme Court, 2010)
State v. Couture
2010 MT 201 (Montana Supreme Court, 2010)
State v. Charlie
2010 MT 195 (Montana Supreme Court, 2010)
State v. Anthony Charlie
2010 MT 195 (Montana Supreme Court, 2010)
State v. Robert Houghton
2010 MT 145 (Montana Supreme Court, 2010)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2008 MT 326, 194 P.3d 58, 346 Mont. 118, 2008 Mont. LEXIS 481, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-billman-mont-2008.