State v. Branstetter

Decision Date10 June 2003
Docket NumberNo. WD60916.,WD60916.
Citation107 S.W.3d 465
PartiesState of Missouri, Respondent v. Donald Branstetter, Appellant.
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals

Appeal from Circuit Court of Miller County, Hon. Mary P. Dickerson.

Kent Denzel counsel for Appellant.

Andrea M. Follett counsel for Respondent.

Harold L. Lowenstein, Judge.

Opinion:

Donald Branstetter appeals from his conviction for felony stealing, section

570.030

, and sentence of ten years of imprisonment as a prior and persistent offender, to be served consecutively to his existing sentences.1 Branstetter's only

claim on appeal is that the trial court erred in denying his motion to dismiss based on the fact he was not brought to trial on the charge within 180 days, pursuant to the requirements of the Uniform Mandatory Disposition of Detainers Law ("UMDDL"),

sections 217.450-217.485

.2 He asserts that due to the State's failure to timely try him, the trial court lost subject matter jurisdiction. The facts of this case bring into focus the potential effects of a writ of habeas corpus ad prosequendum on the law of detainers in Missouri.

FACTS

The record on appeal reveals the following timeline:

                June                   Prosecuting attorney of Miller County ("prosecutor")
                20,                    files complaint and request for issuance of an arrest
                2000                   warrant on the challenged felony stealing charge in
                                       the Circuit Court of Miller County ("court"); warrant
                                       issued
                July                   Arrest warrant served on the defendant
                14
                2000
                July                   Defendant delivered to the Missouri Department of
                19,                    Corrections ("DOC") to begin serving a sentence for
                2000                   an unrelated crime
                August                 Defendant files a pro se "Demand for Speedy Trial
                21,                    and Final Disposition of Detainers Pursuant to Art. I
                2000                   Section 18(A) of the Missouri Constitution and RSMo
                                       217.450" with the court and the prosecutor.
                August                 Prosecutor files application for a writ of habeas
                24,                    corpus ad prosequendum; writ granted and issued to
                2000                   the Miller County Sheriff ("Sheriff").
                August                 Prosecutor files application for a second writ of
                30,                    habeas corpus ad prosequendum; writ granted and
                2000                   issued to the Sheriff. Preliminary hearing set for
                                       September 27, 2000.
                September              Defendant appears in court and waives his right to a
                27,                    preliminary hearing. Case bound over for arraignment
                2000                   on October 16, 2000.
                October                Prosecutor files application for a third writ of habeas
                10,                    corpus ad prosequendum; writ subsequently granted
                2000                   and issued to the Sheriff on October 12, 2000.
                October                Prosecutor files application for a fourth writ of habeas
                25,                    corpus ad prosequendum; writ subsequently granted
                2000                   and issued to the Sheriff on October 26, 2000.
                November               Case called for arraignment. Defendant appears
                20,                    without an attorney and court enters a not guilty plea
                2000                   on his behalf. Defendant requests and is granted the
                                       right to be represented by a public defender; court
                                       orders case set for trial "BEFORE 2/16/01."3
                December               Case set for jury trial January 22-26, 2001.
                7,
                2001
                
                January                Defense counsel files motion for continuance.
                5,
                2001
                January                Prosecutor files application for a fifth writ of habeas
                23,                    corpus ad prosequendum; writ granted and issued to
                2001                   the Sheriff; case called; motion to withdraw defense
                                       counsel's January 5, 2001 motion for continuance
                                       filed; defendant's motion to remand to Associate
                                       Division for preliminary hearing sustained without
                                       objection by the State because "the Public Defender
                                       failed to get conflict counsel for Def. at P.H."
                January                Preliminary hearing held; court found probable cause;
                24,                    case bound over for arraignment on February 13,
                2001                   2001.
                February               DOC responds to defendant's written request for
                6,                     information on the date of any pending holds or
                2001                   detainers that had been lodged against him; tells
                                       defendant no detainers have been filed.
                February               DOC responds to defendant's second written request
                8,                     for information on pending holds or detainers; tells
                2001                   defendant no detainers have been filed but indicates
                                       it is aware he has been released to the Miller County
                                       Sheriff on multiple writs of habeas corpus ad
                                       prosequendum in the untried felony stealing matter.
                February               Court sua sponte binds defendant over for
                20,                    arraignment in circuit court on March 19, 2001.
                2001
                March                  State fails to "writ the defendant in" for arraignment;
                19,                    arraignment reset for April 16, 2001.
                2001
                March                  Prosecutor files application for a sixth writ of habeas
                21,                    corpus ad prosequendum; writ subsequently granted
                2001                   and issued to the Sheriff on April 4, 2001.
                April                  Prosecutor files application for a seventh writ of
                13,                    habeas corpus ad prosequendum; writ granted and
                2001                   issued to the Sheriff.
                April                  Defendant arraigned, enters a not guilty plea; case
                16,                    ordered set for a jury trial.
                2001
                May                    Case set for jury trial on January 7-11, 2002.
                14,
                2001
                June                   Defendant files a verified pro se "Motion To Dismiss
                21,                    With Prejudice" based on his August 21, 2000
                2001                   demand for final disposition of detainers under the
                                       UMDDL.
                June                   Motion to dismiss overruled without a hearing.
                28,
                2001
                
                July                   Defendant files a pro se "Motion for Reconsideration
                19,                    of Judgment Entered June 28, 2001, Denying Motion
                2001                   to Dismiss With Prejudice."
                October                Defendant files a pro se "Motion for Hearing" on his
                12,                    July 19, 2001 motion for reconsideration.
                2001
                November               Court does not grant a hearing but determines that
                19,                    the case will "proceed to trial."
                2001
                November               Defendant files a pro se "Motion to Dismiss With
                28,                    Prejudice on Constitutional Grounds."
                2001
                December               Prosecutor files application for an eighth writ of
                31,                    habeas corpus ad prosequendum; court took no
                2001                   action on this application.
                January                Prosecutor files renewed application for an eighth writ
                2,                     of habeas corpus ad prosequendum; writ granted and
                2002                   issued to the Miller County sheriff.
                January                Bench trial; court finds defendant guilty of felony
                9,                     stealing.
                2002
                

Immediately prior to trial, the court took up Branstetter's motion to dismiss based upon the State's failure to try the case within the 180-day period specified by the UMDDL. Branstetter's offer of proof on the issue of the existence of a detainer consisted of the testimony of Lilly Adams, the Corrections Records Officer at Algoa Correctional Center. She said Branstetter's prison file did not indicate the existence of any detainers placed on him by Miller County, and that it contained no correspondence whatsoever from any Miller County judge, prosecuting attorney, or law enforcement officer requesting that a detainer or hold be lodged against him, or asking that Miller County be advised as to when he was going to be released. She also testified that sometime before February 6, 2001, Branstetter submitted a written request for the date of "the hold or whatever you have on me from Miller County." Her office's response, which was transmitted to him on February 6, 2001, was that there was no detainer from Miller County on record. On February 8, 2001, Adams' office received another request from Branstetter for the same information on pending holds or detainers. The response from Adams' office was "You do not have a hold or a detainer, however you've been going out on writs to Miller County." Adams acknowledged that Branstetter's file contained eight writs of habeas corpus ad prosequendum served by the Miller County sheriff and explained that, after each such court appearance, a DOC employee called the circuit clerk' s office to learn the updated disposition of the case. Adams also testified that after Branstetter's court appearance on April 16, 2001, DOC was informed by the Miller County circuit clerk via telephone that his case had been bound over for trial. Asked why Branstetter was told he had no detainers, Adams explained that "I would need correspondence from the county to place a detainer, a written request or a fax, certified warrant requesting a detainer be placed, and that [had] not been done." Later, she noted: "We just have all the writs of prosequendum from the counties in the file, but I don't have any correspondence letter from the sheriff or court to place a detainer." Finally, Adams stated that although her office would not normally notify Miller County if Branstetter was about to be paroled, it was routine office procedure to run warrant checks on prisoners whose release was...

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1 cases
  • State v. Branstettter
    • United States
    • Missouri Court of Appeals
    • June 10, 2003
    ... 107 S.W.3d 465 ... STATE of Missouri, Respondent, ... Donald BRANSTETTER, Appellant ... No. WD 60916 ... Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District ... June 10, 2003 ... Page 466 ... COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED ... Page 467 ...         Kent Denzel, Columbia, MO, for Appellant ...         John M. Morris, III, Andrea M. Follett, ... ...

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