State v. Potts

240 N.W.2d 654, 1976 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 1179
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedApril 14, 1976
Docket58442
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 240 N.W.2d 654 (State v. Potts) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Potts, 240 N.W.2d 654, 1976 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 1179 (iowa 1976).

Opinion

REYNOLDSON, Justice.

The jury found defendant guilty of delivery of a controlled substance, a violation of § 204.401(1), The Code. Trial court sentenced him to imprisonment at the Men’s Reformatory at Anamosa for a period not to exceed five years. Upon defendant’s appeal, we affirm.

July 29, 1974, a government informer, Michael Blackburn, arranged to meet defendant at a Des Moines service station to discuss a marijuana purchase. They were acquaintances and had been co-employees at a Des Moines factory. Blackburn brought along police officer Leitzke, a “plain clothes” member of Metro narcotics squad. Blackburn went into the station. Defendant provided Blackburn with a sample of the marijuana which the latter carried back to Leitzke. After defendant returned to the station, one Battles arrived by auto and carried a blue suitcase into the building. Defendant removed six ounces of marijuana from the suitcase and sold it to Leitzke, who then promptly arrested defendant and Battles.

Defendant’s appeal raises issues relating to speedy trial and error in a jury instruction on entrapment.

I. Speedy trial.

Defendant’s assignment of error asserts, “The trial court erred in overruling defend *656 ant’s three motions to dismiss, based on violations of §§ 795.1, 795.2 and 795.3 and in finding good cause for a 220 day delay in the trial of defendant’s case.”

Other than in this assignment, defendant does not again refer to § 795.1, The Code (speedy indictment). As this portion of the assignment is not supported by argument or authority it is deemed waived. See State v. Baker, 203 N.W.2d 795, 796-797 (Iowa 1973).

Defendant’s argument is directed to an alleged violation of his statutory right to speedy trial. A detailed history of the time-consuming and convoluted skirmishes which accounted for much of the delay would add nothing to our jurisprudence. A joint county attorney’s information charging both defendant and Battles was successfully attacked, as were subsequent separate grand jury indictments. Thereafter motions directed to separate county attorney’s informations against defendant and Battles resulted in joint hearings which do not assist in clarifying the record.

Under the circumstances presented here, we hold defendant’s speedy trial rights did not attach until the final, valid county attorney’s information was filed on November 4, 1974. See State v. Sefcheck, 261 Iowa 1159, 1168, 157 N.W.2d 128, 133-134 (1968). Thereafter, defendant filed three motions to dismiss for lack of speedy trial.

The first motion, filed November 14, 1974, was premature under our holding in the last paragraph.

The second motion was filed January 28, 1975. Following written resistance it was heard February 14, 1975, and was overruled on February 18, 1975. On a disputed record trial court found the reason for delay was a September 5, 1974 motion defendant filed to compel “the U. S. Government” to disclose the informant’s name and address. This motion lay in the file following dismissal of the first information. We pass for the moment defendant’s obligation to draw it to the attention of the court and secure a ruling. See State v. Cunha, 193 N.W.2d 106, 111 (Iowa 1971). At some later date defense counsel indicated to the prosecution it should be considered as a continuing motion. Trial court-found the assistant county attorney had made diligent effort to locate the confidential informant and his address and provided additional time until February 20, 1975, for this purpose. Although on the record an inference might have been drawn the police and county attorney’s office knew one of the informant’s various residences, there was solid evidence upon which trial court based its finding.

We hold trial court did not abuse its limited discretion in overruling the motion to dismiss. State v. Grady, 231 N.W.2d 869, 872 (Iowa 1975). There was a disputed question of fact involved here. Trial court’s decision, upon conflicting evidence, is controlling. See State v. Ebelsheiser, 242 Iowa 49, 60, 43 N.W.2d 706, 713 (1950).

On the whole record, it is plain defense counsel was throwing up road blocks to speedy trial even while filing the several motions to dismiss. The State requested arraignment of this defendant and Battles at the hearing on the first motion to dismiss. This was resisted by both defense counsel because a bill of particulars filed by Battles’ counsel was on file. Some of the responses required information- from the informant whom the assistant county attorney could not locate. Defense counsel testified at the February 14 hearing, “I would state to the best of my knowledge * * * the statement was made to Mr. Sarcone [assistant county attorney] that the defendants not be arraigned until he answered the Motion to Disclose the Informant * * Arraignment is a statutory prerequisite to trial, unless waived. Section 775.1, The Code; State v. Lyles, 225 N.W.2d 124, 126 (Iowa 1975). Defendant successfully resisted arraignment until February 27, 1975. He then pled not guilty. Trial was set for March 26, 1975.

Defendant, present and with counsel, did not resist the trial date set or assert he wanted an earlier date either at that time or at the March 14 pre-trial hearing. *657 The order on pre-trial indicated defendant had no further motions.

Nonetheless, March 25, 1975, defendant filed the third motion to dismiss for failure to provide a speedy trial. See State v. Allnutt, 261 Iowa 910, 156 N.W.2d 274 (1968). Although trial court did not assign reasons for overruling the motion, we hold defendant estopped to assert any right he had to an earlier trial. We distinguish this situation from that in State v. Wright, 234 N.W.2d 99, 104 (Iowa 1975) where we held defendant was not obligated to ask for an earlier retrial date. There the trial date was set in the absence of defendant and counsel.

Defendant’s attitude throughout toward the prospect of actually being tried was best demonstrated in the following colloquy between trial court and defense counsel on the hearing on the first motion to dismiss:

“THE COURT: Answer my question. Are you asking for immediate trial? MR. MILLER: I am asking the witness some questions, Your Honor.
THE COURT: I am asking you a question, Mr. Miller. MR. MILLER: I don’t think I want to answer that right at this time, if it please the Court. I’m interrogating the witness.
THE COURT: I am asking you. MR. MILLER: I understand.
THE COURT: Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
240 N.W.2d 654, 1976 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 1179, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-potts-iowa-1976.