State v. Doak

231 P.3d 1181, 235 Or. App. 351, 2010 Ore. App. LEXIS 504
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedMay 19, 2010
DocketMI060441; A137375
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 231 P.3d 1181 (State v. Doak) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Doak, 231 P.3d 1181, 235 Or. App. 351, 2010 Ore. App. LEXIS 504 (Or. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

*353 LANDAU, P. J.

The state appeals the trial court’s dismissal of several charges against defendant on statutory speedy trial grounds. On review for errors of law, State v. Dixon, 224 Or App 66, 68, 97 P3d 1106 (2008), rev den, 346 Or 10 (2009), we agree with the state that the dismissal was erroneous and therefore reverse and remand.

The relevant facts are undisputed. This case arose out of a traffic stop on July 8, 2005. A police officer arrested defendant for driving while under the influence of intoxicants (DUII) and took him to the police station for further investigation. After submitting to a breath test and providing a urine sample, defendant was cited for DUII and released. The citation noted that he was required to appear in court on July 28, 2005. When defendant appeared on that date, no criminal charges had been filed. Defendant began frequently calling the prosecutor’s office to check on the status of the case.

The state filed an information on February 23,2006, charging defendant with three misdemeanors: DUII, reckless driving, and tampering with physical evidence. He was arraigned and appointed counsel on March 8. On April 12, defendant appeared in court to enter his plea, but requested a setover to attempt a plea agreement. On April 14, defendant pleaded no contest to the DUII charge and entered diversion. He pleaded not guilty to the two other charges, and the court scheduled his trial for August 2, with a call date of July 31.

On July 31, both parties were ready for trial. Defendant told the court that a plea agreement was still possible, however, and the court continued call until the next day. On August 1, defendant reported that the parties had been unable to reach an agreement and that the state planned to add an additional charge of unlawful possession of a weapon. Defendant requested additional time to prepare for trial on that charge. The court reset the trial date to December 12. On August 2, the state filed an amended information that included the new charge.

*354 At a status conference on September 20, 2006, the state requested an earlier trial date to accommodate the vacation schedule of a key witness. The court responded that, given the court’s backlog, an earlier trial date was not possible. The court asked defendant whether a later trial date would be acceptable. Defendant’s counsel replied, “That’s fine with us.” The court stated, “Now, if there’s any compelling reason to try to get it on, you know, I’ll do my best to get it in.” Defendant’s counsel responded, “I don’t think the defendant’s going to be prejudiced in any way if it’s later.” With defendant’s counsel’s agreement, the court reset the trial for February 21, 2007.

A hydraulic fluid leak caused a two-week closure of the courthouse in February 2007. The parties appeared for call on February 20, 2007, and defendant was arraigned on the unlawful possession of a weapon charge. The court stated that it needed to reschedule the trial, due to the backlog of cases caused by the courthouse closure. The court asked the parties if a trial date of July 17, 2007, would work. Defendant’s counsel replied, “That’ll work for me.”

On June 22, 2007, defendant moved to dismiss the charges of reckless driving, tampering with physical evidence, and unlawful possession of a weapon on constitutional and statutory speedy trial grounds. The court determined that the entire delay from the filing of the information on February 23,2006, to the motion to dismiss on June 22,2007, was attributable to the state, and that that delay was unreasonable under ORS 135.747. Accordingly, the court dismissed the charges. Because the court granted relief on the statutory ground, it did not address defendant’s constitutional arguments.

On appeal, the state challenges the trial court’s calculation of the relevant delay. According to the state, the court erroneously attributed two periods of delay to the state. First, the state contends that the delay between August 2 and December 12, 2006, is attributable to defendant, because he asked for a new trial date before the state had filed the new charge. Second, the state contends that the colloquy with the court on September 20, 2006, demonstrates that defendant consented to the delay occasioned by the state’s request *355 for a new trial date. Once those consented-to delays are deducted from the total delay, the state asserts, the relevant delay for speedy trial purposes is approximately seven and one-half months, which, in the state’s view, is a reasonable time for resolving misdemeanor charges.

Defendant responds that the trial court correctly attributed to the state approximately 15 1/2 months of delay and, thus, did not err in dismissing the case. According to defendant, this court is bound by the trial court’s finding that defendant did not consent to most of the delay, because the record supports that finding. Defendant asserts that the approximately 15-month delay was not reasonable. As we have noted, the trial court resolved the case on defendant’s statutory speedy trial claim. On appeal, defendant does not renew his constitutional argument as an alternative ground for affirmance.

ORS 135.747 provides:

“If a defendant charged with a crime, whose trial has not been postponed upon the application of the defendant or by the consent of the defendant, is not brought to trial within a reasonable period of time, the court shall order the accusatory instrument to be dismissed.”

In calculating the length of the delay under that statute, we first determine the length of time from the date the defendant was charged until the motion to dismiss was filed, and subtract from that period any delays either consented to or requested by the defendant. State v. Bayer, 229 Or App 267, 277-78, 211 P3d 327, rev den, 347 Or 446 (2009). If the remaining period of time exceeds expectations for bringing an accused person to trial on the particular type of charge, the court must determine whether the delay was nevertheless reasonable given the attendant circumstances. Id. at 278.

In considering whether a delay exceeds expectations for bringing a defendant to trial, we have relied on the aspirational standards adopted by the Oregon Judicial Conference of 1990. See, e.g., State v. Myers, 225 Or App 666, 678, 202 P3d 238, rev den, 346 Or 184 (2009); State v. Garcia / Jackson, 207 Or App 438, 446 n 7, 142 P3d 501 (2006); State v. Brunoe, *356 204 Or App 749, 756, 131 P3d 743, rev den, 341 Or 245 (2006); State v. McCrory, 201 Or App 663, 667 n 3, 120 P3d 495 (2005). Those standards provide that “90% of all * * * non-felony cases should be adjudicated or otherwise concluded within 90 days from the date of arraignment, 98% within 180 days and 100% within one year.” State v. Emery, 318 Or 460, 471 n 17, 869 P2d 859 (1994).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
231 P.3d 1181, 235 Or. App. 351, 2010 Ore. App. LEXIS 504, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-doak-orctapp-2010.