STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
JESSIE VALDEZ, JR., APPELLEE
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The State appealed a trial court's order discharging a defendant for alleged violation of Florida's speedy trial rule. The appellate court reversed, holding that the speedy trial period had not actually expired because the trial was scheduled within the recapture period and the defendant was not irreparably prejudiced by late discovery.
The speedy trial period had not expired because the trial was scheduled on March 2, 2009, which was within the recapture period (the court should have rescheduled for any day between March 2 and March 6, 2009). Valdez was not irreparably prejudiced by the late discovery because discovery was provided nine days before expiration of the recapture period, and discharge is an extreme sanction that should be imposed only after less severe remedies are considered.
[1] A trial court errs in granting a motion for discharge based on a speedy trial violation when the recapture period has not yet expired.
[2] A defendant is not irreparably prejudiced by a discovery violation if discovery is provided in time to allow the defendant to utilize it prior to the expiration of the sp…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“Valdez was entitled to discharge only if the State failed to bring him to trial within the speedy trial and recapture period of rule 3.191(p)(3). The trial court erred in granting Valdez's motion for discharge because on the date the court did so, March 2, 2009, the recapture period had not expired.”
Establishes the court's holding that the recapture period had not expired and discharge was therefore improper.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceValdez was arrested and the State filed an information charging him with firearms and related offenses on January 14, 2009, the 140th day after arrest…
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The State appeals the trial court’s March 2, 2009, order granting Jessie Valdez, Jr.’s motion for discharge based on a violation of Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.191, the speedy trial rule. Because the rule was not violated and Valdez was not entitled to discharge, we reverse and remand for further proceedings.
On January 14, 2009, the 140th day after Valdez’s arrest, the State filed an information charging Valdez with carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, resisting an officer without violence, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Pursuant to the speedy trial rule, the State had 175 days from the date of Valdez’s arrest to bring Valdez to trial. Prior to the filing of the information, Valdez filed a notice of discovery; the State had fifteen days from January 14, 2009, the day it filed the information, to provide defense counsel with the •written discovery. See Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.220.
On February 19, 2009, the 176th day after Valdez’s arrest, Valdez filed a written notice of expiration of speedy trial and motion for discharge. On February 25, 2009, the circuit court scheduled Valdez’s trial for March 2, 2009, the eleventh day of the recapture period, and addressed Valdez’s motion to suppress evidence seized under an invalid search warrant. On March 2, 2009, the day of trial, counsel for Valdez made a motion to dismiss for lack of discovery and a motion to continue for lack of discovery, to be charged to the State. The State argued that it had emailed the discovery to defense counsel on February 25, 2009, nearly thirty days late and only five days prior to trial. Valdez’s counsel stated he had not received the email or the discovery and, as a result, he was not prepared for trial. Citing Vega v. State, 778 So.2d 505 (Fla. 3d DCA 2001), counsel for Valdez argued that a defendant should not have to choose between his right to a speedy trial and his right to discovery within a sufficient time to prepare for trial. The trial court denied Valdez’s motion to dismiss; however, relying on Vega, and the fact that the State admitted it had provided discovery only five days prior to trial, the trial court granted the continuance and charged it to the State. At the same time, because Valdez had filed a motion for discharge with his notice of expiration of speedy trial, the trial court granted Valdez’s motion for discharge. The court based its ruling on the incorrect finding that the speedy trial period had expired.
This case turns on the application of the speedy trial and recapture period of rule 3.191. The assertion that the trial court erred in granting Valdez’s motion for discharge is a question of law and is reviewed *186de novo. See Williams v. State, 946 So.2d 1163 (Fla. 1st DCA 2006).
Valdez was entitled to discharge only if the State failed to bring him to trial within the speedy trial and recapture period of rule 3.191(p)(3). The trial court erred in granting Valdez’s motion for discharge because on the date the court did so, March 2, 2009, the recapture period had not expired. The trial court should have rescheduled the trial for any day between March 2 and March 6, 2009.
Despite his argument otherwise, Valdez was not irreparably prejudiced by the State’s failure to timely provide discovery. “[T]he key question in a situation in which a discovery violation is alleged is whether or not the defendant was significantly prejudiced by the State’s failure to produce the requested evidence.” State v. Burnett, 870 So.2d 858, 862 (Fla. 3d DCA 2004) (quoting State v. DelGaudio, 445 So.2d 605, 609 (Fla. 3d DCA 1984)). As long as discovery is provided in time to allow the defendant to utilize it prior to the expiration of speedy trial, including the recapture period, there is no prejudice. Id. The Burnett court found that the defendant was not irreparably prejudiced in his trial preparation, having received the requested discovery at least twelve days before the expiration of the recapture period. 870 So.2d at 862; cf. Von Waldner v. State, 860 So.2d 1061, 1063 (Fla. 5th DCA 2003) (concluding that the State’s discovery delay resulted in cognizable prejudice which could not be corrected within the speedy trial time period as trial was set on the last day of the recapture period). In Vega, trial was set on the last day of the recapture period and the State provided its discovery at trial, thus giving the court no alternative but to grant Vega’s motion for discharge. Vega is therefore distinguishable from this case.
In this instance, the State claimed the discovery was provided nine days prior to the expiration of the recapture period. The wrinkle here is that counsel for Valdez claimed not to have received the e-mail. However, Valdez was made aware of the State’s witnesses the morning of March 2, 2009 — six police officers, only three of whom were to testify. Valdez had a copy of the police report, search warrant, and enough information to file a motion to suppress prior to the trial date being set. Certainly, Valdez and his counsel were aware of the majority of the State’s witnesses without the State providing any written discovery. Therefore, “any prejudice to the defendant’s preparation could have been cured by a short continuance to a date still within the speedy trial time.” State v. Guzman, 697 So.2d 1263, 1264 (Fla. 3d DCA 1997).
Moreover, if Valdez “both needed the discovery in question and wanted to keep the speedy trial date, it was imperative for defense counsel to have sought immediate relief from the court once discovery was overdue.” See Rodriguez v. State, 933 So.2d 1263, 1264 (Fla. 3d DCA 2006); see also Colby v. McNeill, 595 So.2d 115, 116 (Fla. 3d DCA 1992) (noting defense counsel’s “diligent” efforts to obtain belated discovery). Urging the trial court to charge the continuance to the State, Valdez’s counsel correctly argued there is no procedural requirement that he file a motion to compel. The rules place the burden on the State. However, counsel did nothing to assert his entitlement to the discovery and did not act in a manner consistent with a desire to secure speedy trial. See Guzman, 697 So.2d at 1264.
Ultimately, a defendant should not seek a speedy trial until he is prepared for trial. Landry v. State, 666 So.2d 121, 127 (Fla.1995). When defense counsel files a notice that the 175-day speedy trial re*187quirement has expired, “it is a signal that the defendant is prepared and desires the setting of a trial.” State v. Gilliam, 884 So.2d 128, 130 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004). Discharging the defendant is an extreme sanction which should be considered only once less severe alternative remedies are considered. State v. T.G., 990 So.2d 1183, 1186 (Fla. 3d DCA 2008) (Cortinas, J., dissenting). Examples of lesser available sanctions would have included: continuing the trial for a period of time so that Valdez’s counsel could depose the State’s witnesses, excluding undisclosed evidence and/or testimony, or denying the continuance and proceeding to trial as scheduled. See id; State v. Naveira, 873 So.2d 300, 309 (Fla.2004) (“A defendant who is compelled to go to trial unprepared may raise his due process rights in the trial court on appeal....”).
Where, as here, there is a sanction available to the trial court that will provide relief to the defendant and permit the State to move forward with its case within the speedy trial and recapture periods provided by the rules, the trial court should not take the harsh action of discharging the defendant.
Accordingly, we reverse and remand with instructions to reinstate the criminal action in the circuit court.
NORTHCUTT and WALLACE, JJ., Concur.
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State v. Montgomery, 68 So. 3d 342 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011)…he circuit court held the hearing on the notice on the same day. Therefore, the state had until October 2 to bring the defendant to trial. However, the court discharged the defendant on September 29. That discharge was in error. See State v. Valdez, 44 So. 3d 184, 186 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010) (trial court erred in granting defendant’s motion for discharge because on the date the court did so, the recapture period had not expired). Second, the state’s nolle prosse reasonably could not have misled the defendant int…
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State v. Wilson, 164 So. 3d 129 (Fla. 1st DCA 2015)…ce to the State). Sec1 ond, if any remedy will “provide relief to the defendant and permit the State to move forward with its case within the speedy trial and recapture periods provided by the rules,” the trial court must select it. State v. Valdez, 44 So. 3d 184, 187 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010); see also Pura v. State, 789 So. 2d 436, 440 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001) (holding that lesser sanctions must be used to avoid punishing the public); cf. Richardson v. State, 246 So. 2d 771, 774 (Fla.1971) (noting that the court’s san…
Authorities Cited (13 total)
- State v. del Gaudio, 445 So. 2d 605 (Fla. 3d DCA 1984)
- State v. Naveira, 873 So. 2d 300 (Fla. 2004)
- State v. Guzman, 697 So. 2d 1263 (Fla. 3d DCA 1997)
- The Honorable Jonathan T. Colby v. McNEILL, 595 So. 2d 115 (Fla. 3d DCA 1992)
- Landry v. State, 666 So. 2d 121 (Fla. 1995)
- Segon v. State, 778 So. 2d 505 (Fla. 3d DCA 2001)
- State v. Gilliam, 884 So. 2d 128 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004)
- von Waldner v. State, 860 So. 2d 1061 (Fla. 5th DCA 2003)
- Takara Williams v. State, 946 So. 2d 1163 (Fla. 1st DCA 2006)
- Rodriguez v. State, 933 So. 2d 1263 (Fla. 3d DCA 2006)