United States v. Colon

831 F. Supp. 912, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12248, 1993 WL 343524
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedAugust 19, 1993
DocketCr. 92-10302-GN
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 831 F. Supp. 912 (United States v. Colon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Colon, 831 F. Supp. 912, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12248, 1993 WL 343524 (D. Mass. 1993).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER

GORTON, District Judge.

The defendant, Christian Colon, filed a motion to dismiss this indictment and a motion to suppress certain evidence on March 25, 1993. The defendant’s motion to dismiss was premised on an alleged speedy trial act violation. The motion to suppress was based upon the alleged failure of the defendant to waive, knowingly and intelligently, his Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination prior to making certain statements. The Court denies both of the defendant’s motions.

I. The Motion to Dismiss

The defendant Colon has moved to dismiss the instant indictment, with prejudice, and for his release pursuant to the Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3161 et seq. As grounds for this motion, the defendant argues that 1) the present indictment is a re-prosecution of an indictment that should have been dismissed with prejudice under the Speedy Trial Act, and 2) the Speedy Trial Act has again been violated since the reindictment, in that the period of non-exeludable delay since the reindictment exceeds the 70-day trial limit set forth in the Speedy Trial Act and the 90-day continuous detention limit.

A. Procedural History

On August 29, 1991, the grand jury returned a four-count indictment (“the first indictment”) charging defendant, Christian Colon, with the following offenses:

Count 1: felon in possession of a firearm (18 U.S.C. 922(g)),
Count 2: possession of cocaine with intent to distribute (21 U.S.C. § 841(a)),
Count 3: possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute (21 U.S.C. § 841(a)), and
Count 4: use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime (18 U.S.C. § 924(c)).

*915 On September 17,1992, the defendant filed a motion to dismiss the first indictment because the 70-day time limit under the Speedy Trial Act had expired. On October-9, 1992, the Honorable Walter Jay Skinner acted upon the defendant’s motion and dismissed the first indictment, without prejudice. On October 19, 1992, the defendant filed a motion for reconsideration of the dismissal without prejudice. The Government filed its opposition to defendant’s motion on November 17, 1992. The Court did not hold a hearing on the motion for reconsideration, but Judge Skinner denied it on February 25, 1993.

The grand jury reindicted the defendant on the same four counts on October 15, 1992 (“the second indictment”). The ease was drawn to the Honorable Douglas P. Wood-lock. In the new criminal action, the defendant filed an assented-to motion for .reassignment of the case to Judge Skinner on October 19, 1992. 1 This Court (per Woodloek, D.J.) allowed the motion on November 2, 1992, and the new action was transferred to Judge Skinner.

The government filed a motion for a scheduling conference and assignment for trial on January 6, 1993. That motion was unopposed but never acted upon by the Court. The government filed a second, unopposed motion for a scheduling conference and assignment for trial on January 25,1993-. The Court disposed of that motion on February 3, 1993 by an endorsement on the motion indicating that the case would be reassigned to another judge. The government then filed a third, unopposed motion for a scheduling-conference, assignment for trial and arraignment on February 25, 1993. Magistrate Judge Robert Collings ruled on that motion by allowing it, in part, on March 10, 1993.

The defendant did not appear before any judicial officer for any matter concerning the second indictment, until the arraignment, which occurred on March 8, 1993.

B. The Speedy Trial Act

1. The First Indictment

The defendant argues that the second indictment should be dismissed because he believes that the first indictment should háve been dismissed with prejudice, instead of being dismissed without prejudice. ' If the Court had dismissed the first indictment with prejudice, that would have barred the second indictment. In essence, the defendant asks the Court to reconsider his previous motion' to dismiss for a second time. The short-answer to that argument is that Judge Skinner previously heard the defendant’s motion to dismiss with prejudice, and on October 19, 1992, determined that the first indictment should be dismissed without prejudice. The defendant sought reconsideration of Judge Skinner’s ruling but Judge Skinner denied that motion on February 25, 1993. The defendant now reasserts arguments that Judge Skinner has twice previously rejected. The Court sees no reason to disturb Judge Skinner’s rulings on this matter.

2. The Second Indictment

a. The Indictment!Arraignment Distinction

The defendant argues that the Speedy Trial Act has again been violated with respect to the second indictment. Specifically, he argues that the Speedy Trial Act’s 70-day time limit began to run on the day that the grand jury re-indicted the defendant on October 9, 1992. The express language of the Speedy Trial Act, however, does not support the defendant’s position. The Speedy Trial Act provides that in the event an indictment is dismissed upon motion of the defendant ■ and a subsequent indictment is returned charging him with the same offense, the provisions of subsections (b) and (e) shall be applicable with respect to such subsequent ... indictment.” 18 U.S.C. § 3161(d)(1).. Subsection (c) provides:

the trial of a defendant charged in an ... indictment with the commission of an offense shall commence within seventy days from the filing date ...' of the ... indict *916 ment, or from the date the defendant has appeared before a judicial officer of the court in which such charge is pending, whichever date last occurs.

18 U.S.C. § 3161(c)(1). The statute is clear that the 70-day period for commencing trial is triggered by the filing of the indictment or the defendant’s appearance before a judicial officer, whichever occurs last.

The defendant argues that 18 U.S.C. § 3161(c)(1) has been construed to mean that, in the event of an indictment following dismissal of the very same charges, “the Act’s time limit run anew from the date of filing the subsequent ...

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
831 F. Supp. 912, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12248, 1993 WL 343524, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-colon-mad-1993.