Townsend v. State

• Decision Date: 17 July 1974
• Docket Number: No. 47413,47413
• Citation: 524 P.2d 758,215 Kan. 485
• Parties: James Cordill TOWNSEND, Appellant, v. STATE of Kansas, Appellee.
• Court: Kansas Supreme Court

Page 758

524 P.2d 758

215 Kan. 485

James Cordill TOWNSEND, Appellant, v. STATE of Kansas, Appellee.

No. 47413.

Supreme Court of Kansas.

July 17, 1974.

Syllabus by the Court

1. The uniform mandatory disposition of detainers act (K.S.A.1973 Supp. 22-4301 et seq.) implements the constitutional guaranty of a speedy trial for an accused confined in a state penal institution. It constitutes a legislative definition of what is under the circumstances a reasonable time to bring an accused to trial.

2. Where an inmate of a penal institution is brought to trial within one year of the filing of formal charges against him, the failure of the warden to notify him within that year that such charges are pending against him is immaterial, and does not constitute a violation of the detainers act.

3. To obtain the speedy trial guaranteed by section 10 of our Bill of Rights, and as legislatively defined by the uniform mandatory disposition of detainers act, it is incumbent upon an accused incarcerated in a penal institution of this state to comply with all provisions of the act, including the preparation of his written request for disposition of detainer to be addressed to the court in which the indictment, information or complaint is then pending against him and to the county attorney charged with the duty of prosecuting it.

4. Where an accused who is confined in the Kansas state penitentiary prepares a written request for a speedy trial but fails to have a copy of the request served on the county attorney as required by the detainers act, his failure to comply with the provisions of the statute prevents its application to his case.

5. Where the files and records of the trial court conclusively show that an inmate in a Kansas penal institution was tried within one year of the date charges were filed against him, and that no effective request for a speedy trial was filed under the detainers act, it is held that he was not denied a speedy trial and that the trial court properly denied his motion under K.S.A. 60-1507 without conducting an evidentiary hearing.

E. Roger Horsky, Leavenworth, argued the cause and was on the brief for appellant.

Patrick J. Reardon, County Atty., argued the cause, and Vern Miller, Atty. Gen., was with him on the brief for appellee.

FOTH, Commissioner:

This appeal is from a denial of a motion under K.S.A. 60-1507 to vacate appellant's sentence. Appellant's claim is that he was denied a speedy trial.

Appellant, along with other inmates at the state penitentiary, was involved in an assault on a guard on October 7, 1968. Formal charges arising from the altercation were filed on March 28, 1969. A preliminary hearing was held and appellant was bound over to the district court on April 10, 1969. Trial was not held until some nine months later, on January 19, 1970. At that trial appellant was convicted of assault with intent to maim.

On January 8, 1973, the petitioner filed this motion alleging as his sole ground for relief that he was not informed within one year by the warden of his right to request a speedy disposition of the charges pending against him, as required by the uniform mandatory disposition of detainers act, K.S.A. 62-2901 (now K.S.A.1973 Supp. 22-4301). The district court denied the motion without an evidentiary hearing, finding that the 'files and records of this case conclusively show that movant is entitled to no relief.' It based its conclusion on the fact that trial was held within one year after the filing of the complaint. Hence the warden's time to act had not run, and no statutory violation could have occurred.

In this court appellant concedes that the trial court correctly ruled on the narrow issue presented by the motion. However, he now calls attention to a document he filed with the clerk of the Leavenworth district court on May 19, 1969, entitled 'Request for Fair and Speedy Trial.' He relies on that part of K.S.A. 62-2901 (now K.S.A.1973 Supp. 22-4301) which provides that if such a request is properly served and filed the charged person must be brought to trial within 180 days of the request. Appellant alleges that the presence of his speedy-trial request in the files of the trial court should have raised a substantial enough issue to require at least an evidentiary hearing.

The flaw in this argument lies in appellant's request as filed. His proof of service shows unequivocally that he made but two copies, one for the court and one for the institutional files. The statute clearly requires filing with the court and service on the county attorney.

This court has held on prior occasions that to secure a dismissal an accused must bring himself squarely within the statute and comply with all of its provisions. Thus in Brimer v. State, 195 Kan. 107, 402 P.2d 789, the petitioner properly served the county attorney but filed his request in the wrong court. There we held that by failing to comply strictly with the statute he had waived his rights under the act. By the same reasoning, appellant's failure to follow the statute prevents its application to his case. See also, State v. Brooks, 206 Kan. 418, 479 P.2d 893; Thomas v. State, 206 Kan. 529, 479 P.2d 897.

At a least thrust appellant suggests that even if there was no relief available under the detainers act, the trial court should have held a hearing on a general claim of a denial of his constitutional right to a speedy trial. At the same time he concedes in his brief that 'the constitutional pr(o)visions were given legislative definition in K.S.A. 62-2901 et seq., The Uniform Mandatory Disposition of Detainers Act.' The concession is in accord with our long-established rule that the legislature may, within reason, define what is meant by the constitutional guarantee of a speedy trial, and has consistently done so. In re McMicken, 39...