State v. Montgomery

122 P.3d 392, 34 Kan. App. 2d 549, 2005 Kan. App. LEXIS 1046
Court of Appeals of Kansas·Decided October 21, 2005·No. No. 92,657·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

McAnany, J.:

Erma Jean Montgomeiy appeals her convictions of driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to maintain a single lane, transporting an open container, and leaving the scene of an accident. We affirm her transporting an open container conviction and reverse the remaining convictions.

The facts that led to the charges against Montgomery are not in dispute. At 2:25 p.m. on December 15, 2002, Shawnee County Deputy Sheriff Kyle Lang was dispatched to investigate a single-vehicle accident. When he arrived he found an unoccupied van sitting in the roadway. The van had hit a road sign and the side of a bridge. He found Montgomery on the ground in the woods approximately 100 yards from the van. Montgomeiy was able to talk to Lang and told him she had been driving the van. Lang could smell the odor of alcohol on her breath. Fire department personnel arrived, and Montgomeiy told them she had been in an accident, was walking home, and was “too drunk to feel anything.” When asked how much she had consumed, Montgomery responded, “Too much.” She said she had quit drinking about noon and had not had anything to drink after die accident.

Containers of an alcoholic beverage were found in Montgomery’s van. She was given a breath test and was then transported to the hospital where she submitted to a blood test. Her blood-alcohol concentration was .21.

Montgomery conceded at trial that while operating her van she failed to maintain a single lane, that her vehicle contained an open container of alcoholic beverage, that she did not immediately report the accident but left the scene, that she had been given all appropriate notices before testing, and that the testing equipment was duly certified. Further, she did not challenge the test results. [551]*551Speedy Trial

Montgomery claims she was denied the speedy-trial guaranteed by K.S.A. 22-3402(2) with respect to the charges of DUI and failure to maintain a single lane. She does not challenge her convictions for transporting an open container and leaving the scene of an accident on speedy-trial grounds. Here is the procedural history upon which her claim is based.

On May 5, 2003, Montgomery was charged with misdemeanor DUI and failing to maintain a single lane. She was served with process on May 14, 2003. Her first appearance was scheduled for July 9, 2003.

On July 3, 2003, Montgomery’s attorney filed a notice stating Montgomery waived arraignment, understood the penalties if convicted, pled not guilty, and requested a trial setting. The case was set for trial on October 15, 2003. Montgomery claims this July 3 notice from her attorney is the equivalent of her being formally arraigned, and that pursuant to K.S.A. 22-3402(2) the 180-day speedy-trial clock began to run on this date.

On October 14, 2003, the State moved for a continuance due to the unavailability of an officer. The motion was sustained and the trial was rescheduled to January 6, 2004.

On November 7, 2003, an amended complaint was filed which added charges of transporting an open container and leaving the scene of accident. Montgomery was never arraigned on these new charges.

On December 30, 2003, 180 days had passed since July 3, 2003, when Montgomery claims the speedy-trial clock started to run.

On January 2, 2004, Montgomery filed a tardy request for a jury trial. Consequently, the trial was continued from January 6 to March 22, 2004.

On March 17, 2004, Montgomery requested a continuance of the March 22 trial because she believed that a decision in similar pending cases would establish that her right to a speedy trial had been violated. Montgomery’s case was continued to April 14,2004, and then rescheduled for May 26, 2004.

On May 26, 2004, Montgomery moved to dismiss the charges because she had been denied a speedy trial. Her motion was de[552]*552nied. The case was then tried to the court on stipulated facts, and Montgomexy was found guilty on all four charges. She now appeals.

Whether Montgomery was denied a speedy trial is a question of law over which we have unlimited review. See State v. White, 275 Kan. 580, 598, 67 P.3d 138 (2003). The resolution of this case turns on the answers to two questions: (1) Did the filing of Montgomery’s “Waiver of Arraignment and Request for Court Trial Setting” on July 3, 2003, start tire running of the 180-day speedy-trial clock? (2) Did the State’s requested continuance of October 14, 2003, temporarily suspend the running of the clock? If the answer to question (1) is “yes,” and the answer to question (2) is “no,” then the speedy-trial clock ran out on December 30,2003, and we need not consider the procedural history thereafter.

The State’s obligation to provide the defendant with a speedy trial in both felony and misdemeanor cases commences on the date of arraignment. The applicable provision of the speedy-trial statute in effect at the time, K.S.A. 22-3402(2), provides:

“If any person charged with a crime and held to answer on an appearance bond shall not be brought to trial within one hundred eighty (180) days after arraignment on tire charge, such person shall be entitled to be discharged from further liability to be tried for the crime charged, unless the delay shall happen as a result of the application or fault of the defendant, or a continuance shall be ordered by the court under subsection (3).” K.S.A. 22-3402(2).

Arraignment is defined in K.S.A. 22-2202(3) as “the formal act of calling the defendant before a court having jurisdiction to impose sentence for the offense charged, informing the defendant of the offense with which the defendant is charged, and asking the defendant whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty.” K.S.A. 22-3205(a) requires that

“[a]rraignment shall be conducted in open court and shall consist of reading the complaint, information or indictment to the defendant or stating to the defendant the substance of the charge and calling upon the defendant to plead thereto. The defendant shall be given a copy of the indictment or information before die defendant is called upon to plead.”

We find no reported case that discusses waiver of an arraignment in a. misdemeanor case under facts similar to those presented here, and the cases cited by the State do not control.

[553]*553State v. Taylor, 3 Kan. App. 2d 316, 594 P.2d 262 (1979), cited by the State, determined that the speedy-trial clock did not start to run at Taylor s first appearance on felony aggravated assault charges because Taylor did not waive a preliminary hearing and no preliminary hearing had been held.

In State v. Rosine, 233 Kan.

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

State v. Montgomery, 122 P.3d 392, 34 Kan. App. 2d 549, 2005 Kan. App. LEXIS 1046 (kanctapp 2005).

122 P.3d 392 (State v. Montgomery) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

State v. Dean
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2024
State v. Couch
Court of Appeals of Kansas, 2021
State v. Robinson
Supreme Court of Kansas, 2017