State v. Branstettter

• Decision Date: 10 June 2003
• Docket Number: No. WD 60916.,WD 60916.
• Parties: STATE of Missouri, Respondent, v. Donald BRANSTETTER, Appellant.
• Court: Missouri Court of Appeals

107 S.W.3d 465

STATE of Missouri, Respondent, v. Donald BRANSTETTER, Appellant.

No. WD 60916.

Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District.

June 10, 2003.

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED

Kent Denzel, Columbia, MO, for Appellant.

John M. Morris, III, Andrea M. Follett, Jefferson City, MO, for Respondent.

Before: LOWENSTEIN, P.J., ULRICH, J., and STEELE, Sp. J.

HAROLD L. LOWENSTEIN, Judge.

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"), §§ 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 20, 2000        Prosecuting attorney of Miller County ("prosecutor") files complaint
                                     and request for issuance of an arrest warrant on the challenged
                                     felony stealing charge in the Circuit Court of Miller County
                                     ("court"); warrant issued
                July 14, 2000        Arrest warrant served on the defendant
                July 19, 2000        Defendant delivered to the Missouri Department of Corrections
                                     ("DOC") to begin serving a sentence for an unrelated crime
                August 21, 2000      Defendant files a pro se "Demand for Speedy Trial and Final
                                     Disposition of Detainers Pursuant to Art. I, Section 18(A) of the
                                     Missouri Constitution and RSMo. 217.450" with the court and the
                                     prosecutor
                

                August 24, 2000      Prosecutor files application for a writ of habeas corpus ad prosequendum
                                     writ granted and issued to the Miller County Sheriff
                                     ("Sheriff")
                August 30, 2000      Prosecutor files application for a second writ of habeas corpus ad
                                     prosequendum; writ granted and issued to the Sheriff. Preliminary
                                     hearing set for September 27, 2000.
                September 27, 2000   Defendant appears in court and waives his right to a preliminary
                                     hearing. Case bound over for arraignment on October 16, 2000.
                October 10, 2000     Prosecutor files application for a third writ of habeas corpus ad
                                     prosequendum; writ subsequently granted and issued to the Sheriff
                                     on October 12, 2000.
                October 25, 2000     Prosecutor files application for a fourth writ of habeas corpus ad
                                     prosequendum; writ subsequently granted and issued to the Sheriff
                                     on October 26, 2000.
                November 20, 2000    Case called for arraignment. Defendant appears without an attorney
                                     and court enters a not guilty plea 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 7, 2001     Case set for jury trial January 22-26, 2001.
                January 5, 2001      Defense counsel files motion for continuance.
                January 23, 2001     Prosecutor files application for a fifth writ of habeas corpus ad
                                     prosequendum; writ granted and issued to 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 24, 2001     Preliminary hearing held; court found probable cause; case bound
                                     over for arraignment on February 13, 2001.
                February 6, 2001     DOC responds to defendant's written request for information on the
                                     date of any pending holds or detainers that had been lodged against
                                     him; tells defendant no detainers have been filed.
                February 8, 2001     DOC responds to defendant's second written request for information
                                     on pending holds or detainers; tells 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 20, 2001    Court sua sponte binds defendant over for arraignment in circuit
                                     court on March 19, 2001.
                March 19, 2001       State fails to "writ the defendant in" for arraignment; arraignment
                                     reset for April 16, 2001.
                March 21, 2001       Prosecutor files application for a sixth writ of habeas corpus ad
                                     prosequendum; writ subsequently granted and issued to the Sheriff
                                     on April 4, 2001.
                April 13, 2001       Prosecutor files application for a seventh writ of habeas corpus ad
                                     prosequendum; writ granted and issued to the Sheriff.
                April 16, 2001       Defendant arraigned, enters a not guilty plea; case ordered set for a
                                     jury trial.
                May 14, 2001         Case set for jury trial on January 7-11, 2002.
                June 21, 2001        Defendant files a verified pro se "Motion To Dismiss With Prejudice"
                                     based on his August 21, 2000 demand for final disposition of
                                     detainers under the UMDDL.
                June 28, 2001        Motion to dismiss overruled without a hearing.
                July 19, 2001        Defendant files a pro se "Motion for Reconsideration of Judgment
                                     Entered June 28, 2001, Denying Motion to Dismiss With Prejudice."
                October 12, 2001     Defendant files a pro se "Motion for Hearing" on his July 19, 2001
                                     motion for reconsideration.
                November 19, 2001    Court does not grant a hearing but determines that the case will
                                     "proceed to trial."
                November 28, 2001    Defendant files a pro se "Motion to Dismiss With Prejudice on
                                     Constitutional Grounds."
                December 31, 2001    Prosecutor files application for an eighth writ of habeas corpus ad
                                     prosequendum; court took no action on this application.
                January 2, 2002      Prosecutor files renewed application for an eighth writ of habeas
                                     corpus ad prosequendum; writ granted and issued to the Miller
                                     County sheriff.
                January 9, 2002      Bench trial; court finds defendant guilty of felony stealing.
                

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 imminent. If the check showed that an outstanding warrant existed, her office would notify the sheriffs office via Teletype, asking whether the sheriff wanted to take custody of the inmate.

After receiving the offer of proof and considering the arguments of counsel, the trial court denied Branstetter's motion, ruling that "[i]n this case, there was no detainer filed by Miller County, there's no indication that they were ever had any knowledge other than the fact that he was being writted out to Miller...