JOHNNIE SMITH, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Smith was arrested for heroin possession and charged over 180 days later, violating Florida's Speedy Trial Rule. The trial court denied his motion for discharge, but the appellate court reversed, holding that a speedy trial waiver must be in writing and cannot be presumed from the judge's vague recollection.
The court reversed, holding that a speedy trial waiver must be made in writing and signed by the defendant or counsel as required by Rule 3.191(d)(2). The trial judge's vague recollection, without a transcript or written documentation, is insufficient to establish a waiver. Because no written evidence of waiver exists in the record, the defendant must be discharged.
[1] A defendant's right to a speedy trial under Fla.R.Crim.P. …
[2] A waiver of the right to a speedy trial must be in writing and signed by the defendant or their counsel, unless a written recording of an oral stipulation exists.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“The periods of time established by this Rule for trial may at any time be waived or extended by order of the court (i) upon stipulation, signed in proper person or by counsel, by the party against whom the stipulation is sought to be enforced, provided the period of time sought to be extended has not expired at the time of signing”
Establishes the requirement that speedy trial waivers must be in writing and signed by the defendant or counsel
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceSmith was arrested on November 4, 1975, for possession of heroin and paraphernalia. The state filed an information approximately 4.5 months later. Smi…
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SCHEB, Judge.
Appellant Smith challenges the trial court’s denial of his motion for discharge under the provisions of Fla.R.Crim.P. 3.191, the Speedy Trial Rule. We reverse.
Smith was arrested on charges of possession of heroin and paraphernalia on November 4, 1975. The state filed an information against him some 4V2 months later. Smith entered a written plea of not guilty. On April 8, 1976, he appeared at an arraignment, at which time the trial judge set his trial for May 12. On May 10, prior to the scheduled trial, Smith moved for discharge. The trial judge, who had also presided over Smith’s arraignment, denied the motion. Smith then pled nolo contendere to the charges, preserving the right of appeal on the speedy trial question. He was placed on three-years probation. He now appeals.
The state concedes Smith’s trial date was 10 days beyond the 180 days provided for under Rule 3.191. But the state contends Smith waived his right to be tried within 180 days by either agreeing or acquiescing to the trial date of May 12. We must disagree.
The Speedy Trial Rule contemplates that the period of time for trial may be extended. Subsection (d)(2) states:
When Time May Be Extended. The periods of time established by this Rule for trial may at any time be waived or extended by order of the court (i) upon stipulation, signed in proper person or by counsel, by the party against whom the stipulation is sought to be enforced, provided the period of time sought to be extended has not expired at the time of signing .
The record before us is devoid of any written evidence or any testimony to show a waiver by the appellant. In finding a waiver, the trial judge relied on her own recollection. She stated:
I can’t — I can’t go along with your theory that there hasn’t been an effective acquiescence and perhaps specific agreement with regard to this particular trial date. As I recall, we do not have — we did not have a court reporter for that arraignment on April the ninth. We may have. I just do not recall.
This court has recognized that the right to a speedy trial may be waived by a defendant by agreement to a trial date beyond the deadline for trial. State v. Nelson, 320 So. 2d 835 (Fla.2d DCA 1975). Although the Rule requires that a defendant’s waiver of that right must be in writing and signed by the defendant, we have held that a written recording of an oral stipulation can obviate this requirement. Eastwood v. Hall, 258 So. 2d 269 (Fla.2d DCA 1972). With no written evidence of a waiver by appellant or his counsel, the only indication in the record which points to a possible waiver is the trial judge’s quoted statement on arraignment procedures. Unfortunately, a transcript of Smith’s arraignment is unavailable to us. In all candor, the record reveals that the trial judge’s recollection extended more to the general procedures usually followed by the court on arraignment than to the specific details of Smith’s arraignment. This is certainly understandable, considering the volume of proceedings of this nature handled by a trial judge. Neither the state attorney nor public defender who appeared at the discharge hearing was present at Smith’s arraignment. The public defender, however, represented to the trial judge that no one from her office had agreed to any specific trial date. So the record is silent as to any agreement by the appellant or his counsel to waive application of the Rule.
Reducing a waiver to writing may seem burdensome to the state; however, this requirement of the Rule is clear. At the very least there should be a transcript made of any proceedings which may involve a possible waiver of the Rule. We must not attempt to cast this additional burden on the recollection of a trial judge.
From the record before us, we cannot presume a waiver by appellant of his rights under Rule 3.191. Accordingly, the judgment of the trial court is reversed and the defendant is discharged.
BOARDMAN, C. J., and HOBSON, J., concur.
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Citator
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Alphonso Stuart v. State, 360 So. 2d 406 (Fla. 1978)…greement or acceptance of this action, a valid waiver could not be found to have taken place. Nor could a previous agreement to a continuance within the period be taken as such. See State v. Ansley, 349 So. 2d 837 (Fla.1st DCA 1977); Smith v. State, 345 So. 2d 1117 (Fla.2d DCA 1977). If silence is not enough to show waiver by acquiescence, but some kind of positive acceptance is required, clearly no waiver is shown where there are repeated announcements of readiness for trial and unhesitating dispute of the s…
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State v. Ansley, 349 So. 2d 837 (Fla. 1st DCA 1977)…d the 180 days, we find nothing in the rule which places the burden of compliance elsewhere than on the state. There being no waiver or other circumstances justifying extension, denial of the motion to discharge was error.” See also Smith v. State, 345 So. 2d 1117 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1977); Flournory v. State, 322 So. 2d 652 (Fla. 2nd DCA 1975); and Harris v. Tyson, 267 So. 2d 390 (Fla. 4th DCA 1972). The requirements of Fla.R.Crim.P. 3.191(d)(2)(i), requiring that an extension or waiver of the speedy trial time b…
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State v. Harmon Eugene Register, 380 So. 2d 543 (Fla. 5th DCA 1980)…the time. He also emphasized that there had been no written waiver of the speedy trial rule. In support of his argument that a written waiver of speedy trial shown by the record was necessary, defense counsel relied upon the case of Smith v. State, 345 So. 2d 1117 (Fla.2d DCA 1977). The prosecutor’s recollection was different. He denied that there had been an agreement between counsel for an extension, and contended that the record showed [*545] only a motion for continuance by the defense, which constituted…
Previewing 3 of 7 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Eastwood v. Hall, 258 So. 2d 269 (Fla. 2d DCA 1972)
- Vanhorne v. State, 320 So. 2d 835 (Fla. 2d DCA 1975)