State v. Goodmiller

386 P.2d 365, 86 Idaho 233, 1963 Ida. LEXIS 258
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 14, 1963
Docket9154
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 386 P.2d 365 (State v. Goodmiller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho 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. Goodmiller, 386 P.2d 365, 86 Idaho 233, 1963 Ida. LEXIS 258 (Idaho 1963).

Opinion

*236 TAYLOR, Judge.

June 23, 1960, an information was filed charging defendant (appellant) with the crime of burglary of the first degree, alleged to have been committed March 8, 1960. July 19, 1960, the information was dismissed on motion of the prosecuting attorney. The reason for the dismissal as set out in the motion was as follows:

“That the material witness for the State of Idaho, to-wit: Thomas Wayne Mertins, an accomplice with said Gerald Max Goodmiller, is now confined in the Oregon Correctional Institution at Salem, Oregon; that said Thomas Wayne Mertins will be confined at said institution until approximately December, 1960; that the State will further prosecute this case at the time that said Thomas Wayne Mertins is released from said Oregon Correctional Institution.”

Defendant had been at liberty on bail and upon the dismissal his bail was exonerated.

Subsequently, a new complaint was filed and defendant was again arrested upon the same charge. Following preliminary proceedings a new information was filed on *237 August 10, 1961, again charging defendant with the same offense. Defendant moved for a dismissal on the ground that he had been denied a speedy trial. The motion was denied. The cause was tried December 5, 6 and 7, 1961. Defendant was convicted of burglary of the second degree. This appeal is from the judgment entered thereon.

Two issues are raised by the assignments: first, defendant contends he was denied a speedy trial, required by Idaho Constitution, Art. 1, § 13, and I.C. § 19-3501; and second, defendant contends that the trial court erred in permitting the jury to return a verdict of guilty of burglary of the second degree, and in pronouncing judgment thereon in the absence of allegation or evidence that the burglary charged was committed in the daytime.

The constitutional provision relied upon is:

“In all criminal prosecutions, the party accused shall have the right to a speedy and public trial; * * *.” Constitution, Art. 1, § 13.

And the statutory provision is:

“The court, unless good cause to the contrary is shown, must order the prosecution or indictment to be dismissed, in the following cases: * * *
“2. If a defendant, whose trial has not been postponed upon his application, is not brought to trial at the next term of the court in which the indictment is triable, after it is found.” I.C. § 19-3501.

Section 19-3501 was a part of the Criminal Practice Act of 1864. That act was in effect when the constitution was adopted. Its provisions were known to the delegates who drafted our constitution. Many of the provisions of the act of 1864, including I.C. § 19-3501 and others herein referred to, were continued in force by Art. 21, § 2, of of the constitution drawn by those delegates. Those provisions have continued in force to this date, and have never been found to be repugnant to the speedy trial requirement of Art. 1, § 13, and are now to be regarded as in harmony therewith. Schrom v. Cramer, 76 Idaho 1, 275 P.2d 979.

Other pertinent sections of the Criminal Practice Act of 1864 provide that if the court dismisses the action, the defendant must be discharged from custody, or if admitted to bail, his bail must be exonerated (I.C. § 19-3503) ; that “in furtherance of justice” the court may of its own motion, or on motion of the prosecuting attorney, order the action dismissed (I.C. § 19-3504) ; and that:

“An order for the dismissal of the action, as provided in this chapter, is a bar to any other prosecution for the same offense, if it is a misdemeanor; but it is not a bar if the offense is a felony.” I.C. § 19-3506.

*238 In this case there was no postponement. The information was dismissed and defendant’s bail was released. The dismissal was not a bar to another prosecution, commenced within three years after the commission of the offense. I.C. § 19-402; State v. Teague, 215 Or. 609, 336 P.2d 338; People v. Sorrentino, 146 Cal.App.2d 149, 303 P.2d 859; People v. Vacca, 132 Cal.App.2d 8, 281 P.2d 315; State v. Kuhnhausen, 201 Or. 478, 266 P.2d 698, 272 P.2d 225; State v. Rowland, 172 Kan. 224, 239 P.2d 949, 30 A.L.R.2d 455, Annotation 462, and 1960 Supplement 2390; State v. McGowan, 113 Mont. 591, 131 P.2d 262; State v. Wigger, 196 Mo. 90, 93 S.W. 390; Latson v. State (Del.) 146 A.2d 597; Annotation 50 A.L.R.2d 946.

Furthermore, if the dismissal and renewal of the prosecution were to be regarded as a postponement, it was for “good cause” and “sufficient reason” and was therefore authorized by I.C. § 19-3502, which provides as follows:

“If the defendant is not indicted or tried, as provided in the last section, and sufficient reason therefor is shown, the court may order the action to be continued from term to term, and in the meantime may discharge the defendant from custody on his own undertaking of bail for his appearance to answer the charge at the time to which the action is continued.”

The absence of a material and essential witness is “good cause.” State v. Hopple, 83 Idaho 55, 357 P.2d 656; 14 Am.Jur., Criminal Law, § 136, p. 861, n. 20.

Section 19-3502 was also a part of the act of 1864 and, therefore, its application is not to be regarded as violative of the constitutional right to a speedy trial.

Defendant was tried at the first term commencing after the filing of the new information. Thus, his constitutional right was accorded him.

The issue was decided contrary to defendant’s contention in State v. Davidson, 78 Idaho 553, at 564-565, 309 P.2d 211, at 219, wherein this court said:

“The trial court treated the amended information as a new information, as though the original information had been dismissed or had never existed, and the court required appellant’s arraignment and plea anew. The information as such, though denominated an amended information, was filed during the second term and appellant’s trial was had during the third or next following term. In the case of Schrom v. Cramer, 76 Idaho 1, 5, 275 P.2d 979, 981, this Court stated:
“ ‘All the authorities which have been called to our attention hold that the phrase “the next term of the court”, as used in the statute, ex- *239

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
386 P.2d 365, 86 Idaho 233, 1963 Ida. LEXIS 258, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-goodmiller-idaho-1963.