Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

396 N.E.2d 953

72 Ind.Dec. 598

State v. Rehborg

Indiana Court of Appeals

Decided November 28, 1979

Indiana Court of Appeals · decided 1979-11-28

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“... when prior to the expiration of the period set by the rule, the court sets a trial date which is beyond that period and the defendant is or should be aware that the setting is beyond that period, it is his obligation to object at the earliest opportunity so that the court can reset the trial for a date within the proper period. (Emphasis added.)”

quoted by 2 later decisions, including State v. Bondurant, Burst v. State

““Defendant discharged. No person shall be held on recognizance or otherwise to answer a criminal charge for a period in aggregate embracing more than one year from the date the criminal charge against such defendant is filed, or from the date of his arrest on such charge, whichever is later; except where a continuance was had on his motion, or the delay was caused by his act, or where there was not sufficient time to try him during such period because of congestion of the court calendar; provided, however, that in the last-mentioned circumstance, the prosecuting attorney shall file a timely motion for continuance as under subdivision (A) of this rule. Any defendant so held shall, on motion, be discharged.””

quoted by 1 later decision, including Little v. State

Relies on Randolph v. State · Hensley v. State · State Ex Rel. Wickliffe v. Judge of the Criminal Court

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1979-11-28

How this case has been cited

Cited by 7 later decisions — most recently March 2019

7 state decisions

5019791980199020002010decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

*954STATON, Judge.

¶1The State appeals the granting of a motion for discharge made pursuant to Ind. Rules of Procedure, Criminal Rule 4(C).

¶2We affirm.

¶3On February 10, 1976, Dennis Rehborg was charged by an information with driving while suspended, driving left of center, and driving under the influence. He was arraigned on March 1, 1976, at which time he entered a plea of not guilty and requested a trial by jury. The matter was set for trial on May 19, 1976. On that day, the court reset the matter for trial on November 17, 1976. On October 28, 1976, the trial was again reset, this time for December 8, 1976. On December 8, 1976, the prosecutor moved for a continuance because of the unavailability of an essential witness. The motion was granted and the matter was thereafter dormant until November 9, 1977, at which time, according to a docket sheet entry, the court clerk sent notice by way of a stamped post-card to Rehborg informing him that the trial had been reset for March 1, 1978.1 Rehborg appeared in the Portage City Court on March 1, 1978 and was found guilty on all three counts. He then sought a trial de novo from the Porter Superior Court and filed his motion for discharge with that court.

¶4CR. 4(C) provides:

“Defendant discharged. No person shall be held on recognizance or otherwise to answer a criminal charge for a period in aggregate embracing more than one year from the date the criminal charge against such defendant is filed, or from the date of his arrest on such charge, whichever is later; except where a continuance was had on his motion, or the delay was caused by his act, or where there was not sufficient time to try him during such period because of congestion of the court calendar; Provided, however, That in the last-mentioned circumstance, the prosecuting attorney shall file a timely motion for continuance as under subdivision (A) of this rule. Any defendant so held shall, on motion, be discharged.”

¶5 A defendant is not required to take affirmative action to obtain a trial date within the period set by CR. 4(C). State ex rel. Back v. Starke Circuit Court (1979), Ind., 390 N.E.2d 643. Rather, the burden is upon the State to provide a speedy trial. State, etc. v. Hancock County Super. Court (1978), Ind., 372 N.E.2d 169. When, however, prior to the expiration of the period set by CR. 4(C), the court sets a trial date which is beyond that period and the defendant is or should be aware that the setting is beyond that period, it is his obligation to object at the earliest opportunity so that the court can reset the trial for a date within the proper period. State ex rel. Wernke v. Super. Ct. of Hendricks Cty. (1976), 264 Ind. 646, 348 N.E.2d 644. If the defendant sits idly by at a time when the court could yet grant him a trial within the proper period and permits the court, without objection, to set a date beyond the proper period, he will be deemed to have acquiesced therein. State ex rel. Wickliffe v. Judge of Criminal Court (1975), 263 Ind. 219, 328 N.E.2d 420.

¶6The State argues that Rehborg’s failure to object to the March 1, 1978 trial date at the earliest opportunity (i. e., November 9,1977, when he first learned of the trial date) constituted a waiver of his right to discharge. Rehborg was charged on February 10, 1976. None of the delays in the next twelve months were attributable to Rehborg. Rehborg was not even advised of the March 1,1978 trial setting until after the period set by CR. 4(C). Thus, it was not necessary that Rehborg object at the earliest opportunity. State ex rel. Back v. Starke Circuit Court, supra. It was only necessary that he object prior to the trial. In Re Brooks (1966), 247 Ind. 249, 214 N.E.2d 653; Randolph v. State, (1954), 234 Ind. 57, 122 N.E.2d 860.

¶7The State then argues that Rehborg’s failure to object prior to the trial in city court constituted a waiver of his right *955to discharge. Rehborg was entitled to a trial de novo in the circuit court. IC 1971, 35-1-13-3, Ind.Ann.Stat. § 9-721 (Burns Code Ed.); State ex rel. Rodriguez v. Grant Circuit Court (1974), 261 Ind. 642, 309 N.E.2d 145. A trial de novo is a trial from the beginning and is a trial had as if no action whatever had been instituted in the lower court. Hensley v. State (1969), 251 Ind. 633, 244 N.E.2d 225. All questions may be presented which legitimately arise on the record, regardless of whether they were urged or relied on in the lower court. City of Minden v. Harris (1941), 196 La. 1021, 200 So. 449. Assuming arguendo that Reh-borg did fail to object prior to the city court trial, he was not precluded from objecting at the superior court trial. Cf.State ex rel. Rodriguez v. Grant Circuit Court, supra (submission to court in city court trial does not constitute waiver of right to trial by jury in circuit court). Rehborg did not waive his right to discharge.

¶8The order of the trial court is affirmed.

GARRARD, P. J., concurs.HOFFMAN, J., dissents with opinion.

¶9. Rehborg contends that he never received the post-card. Rather, he maintains that he received a phone call on the morning of March 1, 1978 informing him of the setting.

/396/ne2d/953 · .json · Public domain