County Criminal Court: CRIMINAL PROCEDURE – Speedy Trial – When more than one charge arises from same criminal episode, a waiver of speedy trial for one of the charges is considered a waiver for any other charges arising out of the same criminal episode. State v. Brusa, No. CRC 04-10 APANO, (Fla. 6th Cir.App.Ct. May 24, 2005).

 

 

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA IN AND FOR PINELLAS COUNTY

 

STATE OF FLORIDA

 

            Appellant,

v.                                                                                                                                           Appeal No. CRC 04-10 APANO

UCN522004AP000010XXXXCR

MICHAEL R. BRUSA

 

            Appellee.

___________________________________/

 

Opinion filed ____________________.

 

Appeal from a decision of the

Pinellas County Court

County Judge Sonny Im

 

C. Marie King, Esq.

Assistant State Attorney

 

Wm. G. Pontrello, Esq.

Attorney for appellee

ORDER AND OPINION

            (J. Morris)

 

            THIS MATTER is before the Court on the State’s appeal from a decision of the Pinellas County Court granting the defendant’s motion for discharge. After reviewing the briefs and record, this Court reverses the decision of the trial court.

            The defendant was charged with a felony offense of Driving with a Suspended or Revoked Driver’s License. In that case the defendant waived his right to speedy trial. Later, after the conviction on the felony charge was vacated, the State filed a misdemeanor charge. The trial court found this charge arose out of the same conduct and criminal episode as the felony charge, and the record supports this finding.

            Pursuant to State v. Savorelli, 669 So.2d 1083 (Fla. 2d DCA 1996), when more than one charge arises from the same criminal episode, a defendant who waives his right to speedy trial for one of the charges, is considered to have waived his right to speedy trial for any other charges arising out of the same criminal episode. Therefore, since the defendant waived speedy trial in the felony case, that waiver acted as a waiver in the misdemeanor case. Accordingly, it was error for the trial court to have granted the defendant’s motion for discharge on the grounds that the speedy trial time had expired.

            There are no violations of the statute of limitations. The State filed the charges within the two-year statute of limitations period for a first degree misdemeanor.

            IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the order of discharge is reversed, and this case is remanded to the trial court for action consistent with this Order and Opinion.

            DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at Clearwater, Pinellas County, Florida this _____ day of May, 2005.

                                                                                    _________________________

                                                                                                 David A. Demers

                                                                                                     Circuit Judge

 

 

                                                                                    ____________________________

                                                                                                Robert J. Morris, Jr.

                                                                                                       Circuit Judge

 

 

                                                                                    ____________________________                                                                                                      Irene S. Sullivan

                                                                                                     Circuit Judge

cc:    State Attorney

         Wm. G. Pontrello, Esq.

         Judge Im