State v. Hoffman

409 N.W.2d 373, 1987 S.D. LEXIS 307
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 15, 1987
Docket15358, 15393, 15417, 15420, 15423 and 15533
StatusPublished
Cited by43 cases

This text of 409 N.W.2d 373 (State v. Hoffman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota 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. Hoffman, 409 N.W.2d 373, 1987 S.D. LEXIS 307 (S.D. 1987).

Opinions

MORGAN, Justice.

The defendants in this consolidated action appeal denial of the motions to dismiss their respective cases due to State’s failure to comply with the provisions of SDCL 23A-44-5.1, the so-called 180-day rule. We reverse and remand with instructions.

SDCL 23A-44-5.1 provides:

The prosecution shall dispose of all criminal cases by a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, trial or dismissal within one hundred eighty days from the date the defendant has first appeared before a judicial officer on the complaint or indictment. Any period of delay shall be excluded if the trial court finds good cause for the delay. In the event of the prosecution’s failure to dispose of the action within the time limit required by this section, the action shall be dismissed.

The rule was adopted by this court on January 7, 1985, after consideration at the rules hearing the previous December. The rule took effect on July 1, 1985. Each of the defendants had been arrested and made their first appearance prior to the effective date of the rule. None of the defendants were brought to trial within 180 days after the effective date of the rule. Hoffman’s appeal is before us on petition for intermediate appeal and the balance are direct appeals from judgments of conviction entered in Minnehaha County. Hoffman is charged with a felony triable only in circuit court while the others were all charged with misdemeanors triable in magistrate court.

All of the motions for dismissal in these appeals were heard before the same trial judge as pretrial motions. The trial court denied the various motions because it found that the defendants failed to satisfy the factors set out in Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972), particularly the lack of affirmative demands for trial and the lack of a showing of prejudice to the defendants. In addition, the trial court found that good cause existed for the delay based on the totality of the circumstances.

We note in passing that denials of dismissals under SDCL 23A-44-5.1 are not appealable to either the circuit court or this court lacking a final judgment or a petition for an intermediate appeal as was done in the Hoffman appeal.

We glean three essential issues from the briefs of the parties. First, we must determine whether the defendant must make any showing beyond the expiration of the 180-day time period stated in the statute. Secondly, we must define what constitutes “good cause” for delay, which would toll the running of the statutory period. Finally, we must determine if a dismissal for violation of the statute is a dismissal with prejudice.

[375]*375SDCL 23A-44-5.1 creates statutory rights in addition to a defendant’s constitutional right to a speedy trial. By way of that statute, we have affirmatively stated that defendant’s right to a disposition of his criminal case within 180 days unless good cause can be shown for the delay. SDCL 23A-44-5.1 is a statutory and not constitutional requirement, thus it stands on a different legal footing than constitutional claims and requires an analysis separate and distinct from constitutional claims. See United States v. Wentland, 582 F.2d 1022 (5th Cir.1978), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 1133, 99 S.Ct. 1056, 59 L.Ed.2d 96 (1979); People v. Farmer, 339 N.W.2d 218 (Mich.1983); State ex rel. Rabe v. Ferris, 97 Wis.2d 63, 293 N.W.2d 151 (1980). We have recently underscored these fundamental differences in cases involving habeas corpus relief. Goodroad v. Solem, 406 N.W.2d 141 (S.D.1987).

We believe SDCL 23A-44-5.1 is clear and unambiguous on its face. It requires a disposition of criminal matters within 180 days lacking good cause for delay. We do not deem the statute to be synonymous with the constitutional requirement for a speedy trial, thus the four-factor test used to determine whether a defendant has received a speedy trial set forth in Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 92 S.Ct. 2182, 33 L.Ed.2d 101 (1972), is inapplicable to an analysis of an alleged violation of SDCL 23A-44-5.1. Since the trial court utilized the Barker factors, we find that it committed reversible error. We hold that once a defendant has established the running of the 180-day time period he has established a prima facie case for dismissal. See also State v. Holiday, 335 N.W.2d 332 (S.D.1983), wherein this court simply counted days to determine if a preliminary hearing was held within the required time period.

The 180-day period may be tolled if State moves for and can show good cause for delay. To foster certainty and finality, we hold that a motion for a good cause delay must be filed prior to the expiration of the 180-day period.

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State v. Lowther
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Bluebook (online)
409 N.W.2d 373, 1987 S.D. LEXIS 307, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-hoffman-sd-1987.