State v. Thaddies

Decision Date15 November 1978
Docket NumberNo. 77-1547,77-1547
Citation364 So.2d 819
PartiesSTATE of Florida, Appellant, v. Roy Lee THADDIES, Appellee.
CourtFlorida District Court of Appeals

Joel M. Weissman, Asst. State Atty., West Palm Beach, for appellant.

Richard L. Jorandby, Public Defender, and Jerry L. Schwarz, Asst. Public Defender, West Palm Beach, for appellee.

ANSTEAD, Judge.

This is an appeal by the state from an order discharging the appellee, Roy Lee Thaddies, under the speedy trial rule.

Thaddies was arrested on May 28, 1976, for assault and battery in violation of a municipal ordinance of the City of Delray Beach. He was then released on bond and trial was scheduled in municipal court for July 9, 1976.

On June 15, 1976, Thaddies was arrested and incarcerated in the Palm Beach County jail on unrelated charges. He did not appear for his municipal court trial and was incarcerated through October 6, 1976. On December 20, 1976, the municipal court charge was sent to the state attorney's office for review in preparation for the case's transfer to the state courts because of the imminent abolition of the municipal court. No further action was taken to prosecute the municipal ordinance violation. However, on March 8, 1977, Thaddies was charged with aggravated battery for the same conduct that resulted in his arrest of May 28, 1976. He was arrested on March 16, 1977. On May 17, 1977, Thaddies filed a motion for discharge, alleging that under Fla.R.Crim.P. 3.191 he should have been tried within 180 days of May 28, 1976. This motion was granted on July 6, 1977, in an order which found that Thaddies was continuously available for trial from May 28, 1976, until May 17, 1977.

This court has held that the speedy trial rule, Rule 3.191, does not apply to proceedings in municipal courts. State ex rel Savage v. Kaplan,297 So.2d 868 (Fla. 4th DCA 1974). Accordingly, Thaddies had no rights under the rule on the charges filed against him in municipal court. It is true that in State v. Hendricks, 309 So.2d 232 (Fla. 4th DCA 1975), we held that a defendant waived his speedy trial rights under Rule 3.191 when he requested a transfer of pending traffic charges from municipal court to state court. But in Hendricks, Rule 6.13 of the Rules for Traffic Court specifically provided that Rule 3.191 would be applicable to traffic cases. No such rule is involved here.

In anticipation of the abolishment of municipal courts under Article V of the Florida Constitution, the Supreme Court enacted Transition Rule 22 1 which provides:

In prosecution of municipal ordinances violations the time under the speedy trial rule shall begin to run on January 3, 1977, or when actual custody begins, whichever is later.

Under this rule the earliest that the speedy trial time would start running on municipal charges transferred to the state court would be January 3, 1977, and not May 28, 1976.

However, Thaddies was not prosecuted in state court on the municipal ordinance violation. Instead, an information charging aggravated battery was filed. That charge was based on the same criminal episode that gave rise to the municipal ordinance violation. Rule 3.191(a)(1), Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, provides:

The time periods established by this section shall commence when such person is taken into custody as a result of the conduct or criminal episode giving rise to the crime charged.

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10 cases
  • State v. Clifton, 5D03-4110.
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • March 18, 2005
    ...DCA 2003); Walker v. State, 390 So.2d 411 (Fla. 4th DCA 1980); Robinson v. Lasher, 368 So.2d 83 (Fla. 4th DCA 1979); State v. Thaddies, 364 So.2d 819 (Fla. 4th DCA 1978); Deloach v. State, 338 So.2d 1141 (Fla. 1st DCA 1976); Clark v. State, 318 So.2d 513 (Fla. 4th DCA 1975); see also Burk v......
  • State v. Clifton, 5D03-4110.
    • United States
    • Florida District Court of Appeals
    • February 11, 2005
    ...DCA 2003); Walker v. State, 390 So.2d 411 (Fla. 4th DCA 1980); Robinson v. Lasher, 368 So.2d 83 (Fla. 4th DCA 1979); State v. Thaddies, 364 So.2d 819 (Fla. 4th DCA 1978); Deloach v. State, 338 So.2d 1141 (Fla. 1st DCA 1976); Clark v. State, 318 So.2d 513 (Fla. 4th DCA 1975); see also Burk v......
  • Bulgin v. State
    • United States
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • September 21, 2005
    ...courts had concluded that the State's unilateral actions could not delay the running of time for speedy trial: In [State v.] Thaddies, [364 So.2d 819 (Fla. 4th DCA 1978)] the court held that when a charge is dropped and another is filed based on the same incident, the date of the arrest is ......
  • Burk v. Washington
    • United States
    • Florida Supreme Court
    • June 12, 1998
    ...speedy trial window by untimely filing of manslaughter charge or by nolle prosequi of reckless driving charge); State v. Thaddies, 364 So.2d 819 (Fla. 4th DCA 1978) (holding where unprosecuted municipal ordinance violation and aggravated battery charge were based on same criminal episode, d......
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