State v. Martin

741 A.2d 337, 56 Conn. App. 98, 1999 Conn. App. LEXIS 487
CourtConnecticut Appellate Court
DecidedDecember 14, 1999
DocketAC 17514
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 741 A.2d 337 (State v. Martin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Connecticut Appellate Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Martin, 741 A.2d 337, 56 Conn. App. 98, 1999 Conn. App. LEXIS 487 (Colo. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

Opinion

SCHALLER, J.

The defendant, Glen Martin, appeals from the judgments of conviction, rendered after a jury trial, of disorderly conduct in violation of General Statutes § 53a-1821 and criminal violation of a protective [100]*100order in violation of General Statutes § 53a-110b (a). The defendant claims that (1) the trial court improperly denied his motion to dismiss for failure to grant him a speedy trial and (2) the evidence presented was not sufficient to support the jury’s verdict that he was guilty of disorderly conduct. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.

The following facts and procedural history are relevant to our disposition of this appeal. The defendant was charged in three separate files with two counts of threatening in violation of General Statutes § 53a-62 (a) (1) and (2), and one count each of stalking in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-181c (a) (2) , disorderly conduct in violation of § 53a-182 (a) (2) and criminal violation of a protective order in violation of § 53a-110b (a). Those charges were based on actions by the defendant allegedly committed between August and December, 1995. On June 27, 1996, while incarcerated for a prior conviction, the defendant filed a request for a trial or final disposition of the pending charges against him pursuant to General Statutes § 54-82c.* 2 On November 26, 1996, 152 days after the defendant’s request, he filed a motion to dismiss the charges in [101]*101all three files pursuant to General Statutes § 54-82d,3 arguing that dismissal was warranted under statutory and constitutional mandates.

After a hearing, the trial court denied the defendant’s motion to dismiss in a written memorandum of decision, concluding that the unavailability of a jury panel for a period of thirty-nine days constituted an exceptional circumstance for which a continuance was both reasonable and necessary. The trial court further concluded that the defendant’s constitutional right to a speedy trial was not so impaired as to warrant the dismissal of the charges against him. On June 3, 1997, the jury returned verdicts of guilty with respect to the charges of disorderly conduct, stalking in the first degree and criminal violation of a protective order and not guilty as to the remaining charges. The defendant subsequently withdrew his appeal from the stalking conviction. This appeal followed. Additional facts will be set forth as necessary.

I

The defendant claims first that the trial court’s denial of his motion to dismiss was improper. In support of this claim, the defendant relies on both his statutory and constitutional rights to a speedy trial. Regarding the former, the defendant claims that the denial was improper because the state neither moved for nor was it granted a continuance in open court for good cause shown as required by § 54-82c (a). We disagree.

“When reviewing the grant of continuances which toll the statutory [120 day] period within which to bring a criminal case to trial, [an appellate] court will find [102]*102error only if a clear abuse is shown of the trial court’s discretion in finding that a continuance is necessary or reasonable.” State v. Antrum, 185 Conn. 118, 123, 440 A.2d 839 (1981). The trial court’s memorandum of decision specifically recites its finding that there was no jury panel available for a period of thirty-nine days, that that was an exceptional circumstance, and “that a continuance was both reasonable and necessary.” We conclude that the trial court’s granting a continuance for the reason stated was reasonable and that the trial court did not clearly abuse its discretion in so concluding.4

The state’s failure to move for a continuance is of no help to the defendant. In State v. King, 40 Conn. App. 757, 761, 673 A.2d 124, cert. denied, 237 Conn. 918, 676 A.2d 1374 (1996), we held that the lack of a request for a continuance does not render either the trial court’s granting of a continuance, or the subsequent application thereof, improper. Similarly, in the present case, the state did not move for a continuance during the 120 day period, but the trial court later ruled that a continuance was reasonable. Under the rationale of King, the continuance was proper. Accordingly, the defendant’s statutory claim fails.

The defendant also asserts that the trial court’s denial of his motion to dismiss violated his right to a speedy trial under both the federal and state constitutions.5 We are not persuaded.

“The Supreme Court of the United States and [the Connecticut Supreme Court] have identified four factors which form the matrix of the defendant’s constitutional right to speedy adjudication: ‘[l]ength of delay, [103]*103the reason for the delay, the defendant’s assertion of his right, and prejudice to the defendant.’ Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 530, 92 S. Ct. 2182, 33 L. Ed. 2d 101 (1972); State v. Lloyd, 185 Conn. 199, 208, 440 A.2d 867 (1981); State v. Nims, 180 Conn. 589, 591, 430 A.2d 1306 (1980). A balancing test is to be applied on a case by case basis. None of the factors standing alone demands a set disposition; rather it is the total mix which determines whether the defendant’s right was violated. State v. Nims, supra, 591-92.” State v. Johnson, 190 Conn. 541, 544-45, 461 A.2d 981 (1983).

“The length of the delay is to some extent a triggering mechanism. Until there is some delay which is presumptively prejudicial, there is no necessity for inquiry into the other factors that go into the balance.” Barker v. Wingo, supra, 407 U.S. 530; see also Pelletier v. Warden, 32 Conn. App. 38, 47, 627 A.2d 1363, cert. denied, 227 Conn. 920, 632 A.2d 694 (1993). The defendant argues that because he was a sentenced prisoner whose 120 day period had run, he suffered prejudice, which requires us to analyze the remaining Barker factors. He does not, however, give any basis for his conclusion.

Our courts have not held that any particular length of delay is presumptively prejudicial, but have stated that an extensive delay warrants an inquiry into the other factors of Barker. See, e.g., State v. Gasparro, 194 Conn. 96, 100, 480 A.2d 509 (1984), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 828, 106 S. Ct. 90, 88 L. Ed. 2d 74 (1985) (three and one-half years); State v. Davis, 192 Conn. 739, 740-41, 474 A.2d 776 (1984) (twenty-six months); State v. Cleary, 3 Conn. App. 349, 350-51, 488 A.2d 831 (1985) (thirty-eight months).

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

Related

State v. VanDeusen
Connecticut Appellate Court, 2015
State v. Atkins
984 A.2d 1088 (Connecticut Appellate Court, 2009)
State v. Sam
907 A.2d 99 (Connecticut Appellate Court, 2006)
State v. Gaston
860 A.2d 1253 (Connecticut Appellate Court, 2004)
State v. Nicholson
803 A.2d 391 (Connecticut Appellate Court, 2002)
Boyd v. Warden, No. Cv98-2800 (Jun. 20, 2002)
2002 Conn. Super. Ct. 7942 (Connecticut Superior Court, 2002)
State v. Lacks
755 A.2d 254 (Connecticut Appellate Court, 2000)
State v. Ortiz
252 Conn. 533 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 2000)
State v. Wallace
745 A.2d 216 (Connecticut Appellate Court, 2000)
State v. Martin
746 A.2d 790 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 2000)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
741 A.2d 337, 56 Conn. App. 98, 1999 Conn. App. LEXIS 487, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-martin-connappct-1999.