State v. Simon

928 P.2d 449, 84 Wash. App. 460, 1996 Wash. App. LEXIS 844
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedDecember 30, 1996
Docket38665-4-I
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 928 P.2d 449 (State v. Simon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Simon, 928 P.2d 449, 84 Wash. App. 460, 1996 Wash. App. LEXIS 844 (Wash. Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

Coleman, J.

William Simon argues that the lower court erred in denying his motion to dismiss armed robbery charges because the State violated his speedy trial *462 rights under CrR 3.3 and the Interstate Agreement on Detainers. We hold that the State’s failure to inquire into Simon’s whereabouts or ability to stand trial in Washington for nearly a year while Simon was in an Oregon prison and available for trial in Washington constitutes a failure to exercise the required due diligence. We therefore reverse and dismiss.

Facts

On December 13, 1993, Simon was arrested in Douglas County, Oregon. California had three outstanding warrants on Simon and immediately placed a hold on him. Douglas County informed Whatcom County that Simon had a number of credit cards and identification belonging to victims of a Whatcom County armed robbery.

Detective Nick Childers of Whatcom County went to Oregon and interviewed Simon. After the interview, Childers informed Simon that Whatcom County would be pursuing robbery charges against him. Childers then also learned that Simon was facing more serious charges in California for which he faced a possible life sentence.

On January 6, 1994, Simon was charged with robbery in the first degree for the Whatcom County robbery. What-com County issued a warrant for Simon’s arrest on January 11, 1994, and faxed it to the Douglas County sheriffs office. The fax asked the sheriff to place a hold on Simon and to advise if he would sign a waiver of extradition. There is, however, no evidence that Simon was notified of the warrant, and he later signed an affidavit stating that he was not informed of any outstanding warrant or that charges had actually been filed.

In late February 1994, Simon was convicted in Oregon and sentenced to 30 months in jail for charges arising out of his Douglas County arrest. Whatcom County learned this on March 15, 1994.

Because the California charges were more serious than Washington’s, Whatcom County decided to defer to Cali *463 fornia, permitting it to pursue its detainer on Simon first. The State intended to file a detainer in California if Simon received a lengthy sentence or in Oregon once the California matter had concluded.

On March 31, 1994, California filed a detainer against Simon. On April 2, 1994, Simon requested speedy disposition of this detainer and requested the Oregon authorities to inform him if there were any other detainers filed against him. At that time, there were no others.

In December 1994, Simon was transported to California, where the charges against him were dismissed. On December 29,1994, he was returned to the Oregon Department of Corrections to finish serving his sentence.

From March 1994 to September 1995, there was no communication between Whatcom County and California or Oregon. Whatcom County therefore did not know that California had dismissed its charges and that Simon had returned to prison in Oregon. A September 1995 internal Whatcom County prosecutor’s office memo specified an intention to extradite Simon whenever he was released or before his release.

On December 13,1995, the Whatcom County sheriffs office requested the Oregon Department of Corrections to place a hold on Simon. Simon’s scheduled release date from the Oregon prison was December 15, 1995.

The trial court concluded that the State acted in good faith and exercised due diligence in obtaining the presence of Simon, that deference to California was not a violation of its good faith and due diligence requirement, and that Simon had to stand trial in Whatcom County.

Analysis

The sole issue on appeal is whether the State exercised good faith and due diligence in obtaining Simon’s presence for trial in Whatcom County. In computing the time for arraignment and the time for trial, the time during which a defendant is detained in out-of-state *464 or federal jail or prison is excluded. CrR 3.3(g)(6). The State must, however, exercise good faith and due diligence in attempting to return a defendant to Washington to avail itself of the exclusion. State v. Anderson, 121 Wn.2d 852, 858, 855 P.2d 671 (1993).

Under the Interstate Agreement on Detainers, when Washington has charges pending against prisoners held in another jurisdiction, it may file a detainer with that authority requesting that the prisoner not be released before resolution of the Washington charges. Anderson, 121 Wn.2d at 861; see RCW 9.100. After the detainer is filed, the prisoner may demand that Washington bring the prisoner to trial commencing within 180 days following the demand. RCW 9.100.010, Art. 3; Anderson, 121 Wn.2d at 861. While the prisoner cannot demand a speedy trial until the State files the detainer, the failure to file a detainer does not relieve the State of its obligation to comply with CrR 3.3 time limits. State v. Peterson, 90 Wn.2d 423, 431, 585 P.2d 66 (1978), superseded by statute and rule, as stated in State v. Newcomer, 48 Wn. App. 83, 737 P.2d 1285, review denied, 109 Wn.2d 1014 (1987). Rather, the State must still exercise good faith and due diligence in bringing the defendant to trial in order to avail itself of the CrR 3.3(g)(6) exclusion. Anderson, 121 Wn.2d at 857-58. The rationale is that permitting prosecutors to decline freely to file detainers would deprive defendants of a mechanism for demanding a speedy trial. And delays to trial could cause substantial prejudice to defendants, such as a diminished ability to prepare for trial and a lost ability to serve partially concurrent sentences. Anderson, 121 Wn.2d at 861-62.

Washington can defer to another state to file its detainer first while still complying with good faith and due diligence. See State v. Pizzuto, 55 Wn. App. 421, 425, 778 P.2d 42, review denied, 113 Wn.2d 1032 (1989). In Pizzuto, Washington agreed to subordinate its extradition request to Idaho’s. The following year, Pizzuto was sentenced in Idaho. Washington officials asked Idaho authorities when *465 Pizzuto would be available to Washington and were told that his presence in Idaho was required for posttrial motions. Pizzuto, 55 Wn. App. at 423-25. After continued communication, King County lodged a detainer and transported Pizzuto to Washington. Pizzuto, 55 Wn. App. at 425.

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Bluebook (online)
928 P.2d 449, 84 Wash. App. 460, 1996 Wash. App. LEXIS 844, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-simon-washctapp-1996.