United States v. Dellinger

980 F. Supp. 2d 806, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 150045, 2013 WL 5946086
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedOctober 18, 2013
DocketCriminal No. 12-cr-20542
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 980 F. Supp. 2d 806 (United States v. Dellinger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Dellinger, 980 F. Supp. 2d 806, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 150045, 2013 WL 5946086 (E.D. Mich. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING-IN-PART DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS (DKT. 32) AND DISMISSING THE INDICTMENT (DKT. 13) WITHOUT PREJUDICE

MARK A. GOLDSMITH, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

The matter before the Court concerns the proper interpretation of the relationship between two provisions of the Speedy Trial Act that exclude time from the 70-day period in which a criminal defendant must be brought to trial: 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(1)(F) (providing that any delay “resulting from transportation of any defendant ... to and from places of examination or hospitalization” beyond ten days is presumptively unreasonable) and 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(4) (excluding time “resulting from the fact that the defendant is mentally incompetent ... to stand trial”).

Before the Court is Defendant Randall Dellinger’s motion to dismiss the indictment with prejudice, based on a delay in transporting him for mental health treatment and evaluation. Mot. to Dismiss (Dkt. 32). The Government does not challenge Defendant’s allegation that he was not transported to a suitable facility for nearly three months following this Court’s finding that he was not competent to stand trial. The Government also does not challenge that this delay was the result of an error by the U.S. Marshals Service.1 Nevertheless, the parties dispute whether this delay, even if unreasonable, is excludable from the Speedy Trial Act calculation given the Court’s earlier finding of mental incompetency. Because the Court concludes that section 3161(h)(4) does not trump section 3161(h)(1)(F), and because the transportation delay here was unreasonable, the indictment must be dismissed. However, the Court determines that dismissal without prejudice is appropriate in light of the circumstances of this case. Therefore, the Court grants Defendant’s motion in part. The Court also orders counsel to appear on November 6, 2013 at 9:30 A.M. to discuss whether further proceedings or hospitalization is required pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 4246 in light of Defendant’s mental condition. The Court stays dismissal of the indictment until resolution of whether further proceedings or hospitalization is required.

II. BACKGROUND

Defendant is charged with interstate communication of a threat, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), as a result of an alleged telephone call to United States Senator Carl Levin that contained a threat to [809]*809injure him and others. Indictment (Dkt. 13).

On June 28, 2012, Magistrate Judge Hluchaniuk conducted the initial appearance in this case after the filing of the complaint (Dkt. 1). During that proceeding, the Government moved for detention and a hearing to determine mental competency. Magistrate Judge Hluchaniuk scheduled that hearing for August 1, 2012. The competency examination was conducted by Dr. Harold Sommerschield, who concluded Defendant was competent to stand trial. Order at 2 (Dkt. 12). The Magistrate Judge subsequently found Defendant to be competent to stand trial and released him on a $25,000 unsecured bond (Dkts. 11,12).

On August 15, 2012, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Defendant. Indictment (Dkt. 13). Defendant appeared for arraignment on August 23, 2012 and pled not guilty. Although trial originally was scheduled for October 2012, it was continued until December 17, 2012 by stipulation of the parties. 10/4/2012 Stipulation (Dkt. 17).

On December 3, 2012, the parties entered into a stipulation allowing Defendant to obtain an independent expert at the Government’s expense for a psychological examination to confirm Defendant’s competency to stand trial. 12/3/2012 Stipulation (Dkt. 18). The parties agreed that “[tjrial in this matter should be adjourned pending completion of the examination, and that the resulting period of delay be excluded in computing the time within which the trial must commence pursuant to the Speedy Trial Act.” Id. at 2.

Defense counsel then filed an ex-parte motion to transport Defendant to the U.S. Marshals Service lock-up for an independent psychological examination on February 20, 2013. Ex Parte Mot. for Order to Transport Def. (Dkt. 26).2 The motion was granted on February 21, 2013 (Dkt. 27), and the examination occurred in March 2013. Order of Commitment (Dkt. 30).

The Court then scheduled another competency hearing for April 9, 2013. The parties subsequently requested a continuance as a result of defense counsel’s schedule; they agreed that any resulting period of delay was to be excluded from the Speedy Trial Act’s calculation. 4/8/2013 Stipulation (Dkt. 28). The Court re-scheduled the hearing for May 21, 2013 (Dkts. 28, 29).

At the May 21 hearing, the Court found Defendant incompetent to stand trial. Order of Commitment (Dkt. 30). The Court ordered that

pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 4241(d)(1), defendant is committed to the custody of the Attorney General for hospitalization, examination and treatment in a suitable facility for a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 120 days, for the purpose of evaluation and determining whether there is a substantial probability that in the foreseeable future defendant will attain the capacity to permit the proceedings to go forward.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the United States Marshal’s Service promptly and expeditiously transfer defendant to a suitable facility, to be determined by the Attorney General, and that the United States Marshal’s Service act as quickly as reasonably possible so as to minimize the period during which defendant must travel to, be confined in, and be returned from the facility where such treatment will be conducted. The time [810]*810period associated with this process, from the filing date of the Order for Psychiatric or Psychological Examination (R. 18) through and including the date on which a final determination is made regarding whether defendant has regained his competency to stand trial, is excluded under the Speedy Trial Act pursuant to the terms of 18 U.S.C. § 3161(h)(1)(A) and (h)(4).

Id. The Court then set another competency hearing for September 24, 2013. Notice to Appear (Dkt. 31).

On July 11, 2013, defense counsel sent a letter to the Court noting that the U.S. Marshals Service had informed him that Defendant still remained at the Genesee County Jail. Ex. A. to Def.’s Mot. (Dkt. 32-1). According to defense counsel, the Marshals Service told him that the transportation order must have “slipped through the cracks.” Def.’s Mot. at 5 (Dkt. 32). Defense counsel also claimed that he faxed a copy of the May 21, 2013 Order to the Marshals Service and that an adjournment of the scheduled competency hearing may be necessary to allow sufficient time for Defendant’s evaluation and treatment. Ex. A. to Def.’s Mot.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
980 F. Supp. 2d 806, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 150045, 2013 WL 5946086, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-dellinger-mied-2013.