STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
TONY PEREZ HOWARD, APPELLEE

Fla. 2d DCA | 1992-05-27
No. 91-01449
RYDER, A.C.J., and PATTERSON, J., concur.
599 So. 2d 1043 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (1992) Positive Treatment
Cited by 8 cases

AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.

Synopsis

The Florida appellate court reversed a trial court's order discharging a defendant for speedy trial violation, holding that automatic discharge was improper where the trial court should have instead ordered the defendant brought to trial within a specified period under Florida's speedy trial rule.


Holding

The trial court erred by ordering automatic discharge. When a speedy trial violation is found, the court must order the defendant brought to trial within ten days under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.191(i)(3), and only if the defendant is not brought to trial within that period through no fault of the defendant shall the defendant be discharged.


Headnotes

[1] A trial court errs by ordering automatic discharge of a defendant when a speedy trial violation occurs, as the appropriate remedy is to order trial within a specified per…

[2] When a defendant's speedy trial rights are violated, the court must order the defendant brought to trial within a specified period, rather than immediately discharging th…

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Key Quotes

“If the defendant is not brought to trial within the 10 day period through no fault of the defendant, the defendant shall be forever discharged from the crime.”

Establishes the proper remedy under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.191(i)(3) when a speedy trial violation occurs—the defendant must be given another opportunity for trial within 10 days before discharge is ordered.

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Facts & Procedural History

Tony Perez Howard was arrested on January 31, 1990, and charged by information on March 2, 1990, with grand theft and driving with a suspended or revo…

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Opinion of the Court
FRANK, Judge.

FRANK, Judge.

The state has appealed from an order discharging Tony Perez Howard. The trial court determined that his right to speedy trial was violated. We reverse because automatic discharge was not the appropriate remedy in this case.

Howard was arrested on January 31, 1990 and was charged by information on March 2, 1990 with grand theft and driving with a suspended or revoked license. In September of that year he filed a pro se motion to dismiss, which really sought discharge on speedy trial grounds. Because the motion was improperly styled, however, the clerk’s office did not flag it for immediate disposition and it was not heard until November 13, 1990. On that date Judge Elmer O. Friday held a hearing and denied the motion for discharge on the ground that Howard had requested continuances and thus delays attributable to him under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.191(d)(3) rendered him not continuously available for trial under Rule 3.191(e). Nevertheless, having found there had been no speedy trial violation, Judge Friday ordered Howard to be tried within fifteen days, presumably invoking the provisions of Rule 3.191(i)(3). That rule, however, applies only to the situation in which no excuse under rule 3.191(d)(3) exists.

Regardless of what Judge Friday might have been thinking when he ordered Howard to be tried within fifteen days, Howard was not tried within that period, nor was he tried within ninety days. In fact, his case was called for trial on February 13, 1991, the ninety-second day from the date of Judge Friday’s order. After a continuance Howard, through his attorney, moved for discharge on April 3, 1991. At a hearing on April 13, 1991, Judge Darryl Casanueva granted Howard’s motion and discharged him.

Our assessment of this matter reveals that both judges afforded Howard the wrong remedy under the speedy trial rule. Judge Friday should have ordered him brought to trial within ninety days under Rule 3.191(d)(3):

If the court finds that discharge is not appropriate for reasons under (d)(3)(h), (iii), or (iv), the pending motion for discharge shall be denied provided however, trial shall be scheduled and commenced within 90 days of a written or recorded order of denial.

As we have noted, however, a speedy trial violation did subsequently occur because Howard’s trial did not begin until the ninety-second day. Judge Casanueva, then, faced with á motion for discharge, should have followed the procedure outlined in Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.191(i)(3):

(3) No later than 5 days from the date of the filing of a motion for discharge, the court shall hold a hearing on the motion, and unless the court finds that one of the reasons set forth in section (d)(3) exists, shall order the defendant be brought to trial within 10 days. If the defendant is not brought to trial within the 10 day period through no fault of the defendant, the defendant shall be forever discharged from the crime. Once Judge Casanueva determined that Howard’s speedy trial rights had been violated, he was required to order him brought to trial within fifteen days from the filing of his motion but not to order his immediate discharge. By discharging Howard, Judge Casanueva closed the “window of recapture” that is intended to operate for the benefit of the state. See Baxter v. Downey, 581 So. 2d 596 (Fla. 2d DCA 1991). “[T]he underlying purpose of the 1985 amendments ... was to eliminate the kind of automatic speedy trial dismissal which occurred below.” State v. Veliz, 524 So. 2d 1157 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988).

Accordingly, we reverse the order of discharge and remand this matter for further proceedings.

RYDER, A.C.J., and PATTERSON, J., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • State v. Reaves, 609 So. 2d 701 (Fla. 4th DCA 1992)
    …to secure a speedy trial, but, rather, as a means to avoid a fair and prompt trial on the merits. The 1984 amendments to Rule 3.191 were designed “to eliminate the kind of automatic speedy trial dismissal which occurred below.” See State v. Howard, 599 So. 2d 1043,1045 (Fla. 2d DCA 1992), quoting State v. Veliz, 524 So. 2d 1157 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988). We are reluctant to single out counsel for criticism, especially in a criminal case where counsel’s devotion to his client is absolutely essential to the proper op…
  • State v. Collier, 659 So. 2d 1371 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995)
    …aring on the notice. See Rule 3.191(p)(3), Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure. Appel-lee would have been entitled to absolute discharge only if the state had been unable to bring him to trial within that “window of recapture” time. State v. Howard, 599 So. 2d 1043 (Fla. 2d DCA 1992). Accordingly, the order of discharge is reversed and the cause remanded for further proceedings. Reversed. PARKER, A.C.J., and LAZZARA and QUINCE, JJ., concur.…
  • State v. Hall, 903 So. 2d 1001 (Fla. 2d DCA 2005)
    …shall be forever discharged from the crime. Mr. Hall was entitled to discharge only if the State failed to bring him to trial within the ten-day “window of recapture.” See State v. Collier, 659 So. 2d 1371, 1372 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995); State v. Howard, 599 So. 2d 1043, 1045 (Fla. 2d DCA 1992) (holding immediate discharge improper without affording “window of recapture” to State). In granting Mr. Hall’s motion, the trial court relied principally on State v. Gantt, 688 So. 2d 1012 (Fla. 3d DCA 1997). There, the St…

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