Kenneth W. Guy v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.) ( 2021 )


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  • MEMORANDUM DECISION
    Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D),
    this Memorandum Decision shall not be                                           FILED
    regarded as precedent or cited before any                                   Jan 19 2021, 8:46 am
    court except for the purpose of establishing                                    CLERK
    Indiana Supreme Court
    the defense of res judicata, collateral                                        Court of Appeals
    and Tax Court
    estoppel, or the law of the case.
    ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT                                   ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
    Kurt A. Young                                            Theodore E. Rokita
    Nashville, Indiana                                       Attorney General of Indiana
    Caroline G. Templeton
    Deputy Attorney General
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    IN THE
    COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
    Kenneth W. Guy,                                          January 19, 2021
    Appellant-Defendant,                                     Court of Appeals Case No.
    19A-CR-2756
    v.                                               Appeal from the Brown Circuit
    Court
    State of Indiana,                                        The Honorable Mary Wertz, Judge
    Appellee-Plaintiff.                                      Trial Court Cause No.
    07C01-1609-F3-384
    Altice, Judge.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021                    Page 1 of 18
    Case Summary
    [1]   Following two jury trials, Kenneth Guy appeals his convictions for Level 3
    felony aggravated battery and Class A misdemeanor resisting law enforcement,
    raising the following two restated issues:
    I. Were Guy’s state constitutional double jeopardy rights
    violated when he was retried and convicted of aggravated battery
    because, in a prior trial, he had been acquitted of attempted
    murder that he claims was based on the same conduct as that
    supporting the aggravated battery conviction?
    II. Did the trial court err when it denied Guy’s motion for
    discharge pursuant to Ind. Criminal Rule 4(B)?
    [2]   We affirm.
    Facts and Procedural History
    [3]   Guy and his younger brother, David, who was a drug addict, did not have a
    good relationship. After their mother died, they lived in her residence in
    Nashville, Indiana. However, at some point, David kicked Guy out of the
    house. On September 6, 2016, Guy was back at the residence retrieving some
    of his items. While David was eating dinner on the front porch steps, Guy
    opened the door and shot at David with a rifle, injuring him, and thereafter
    clubbed David in the head with an aluminum baseball bat. David fell to the
    ground in the yard, and Guy left.
    [4]   Shortly thereafter, David’s friend, Randy Cole, who was walking away from
    the residence, came to David’s aid. After trying unsuccessfully to call 911, Cole
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021   Page 2 of 18
    drove a mile or less to his home, where his mother called 911. Police located
    Guy, and he initially ran from police but was eventually apprehended. David
    survived, suffering a bullet wound and lacerations to his head. Due to risks
    associated with removing the bullet fragments, they were left in his head.
    David continued to suffer blurred vision, headaches, and other problems after
    the incident.
    [5]   On September 9, 2016, the State charged Guy with Level 3 felony aggravated
    battery, Level 6 felony criminal recklessness, and Class A misdemeanor
    resisting law enforcement. On September 12, the trial court held an initial
    hearing at which a plea of not guilty was entered, and counsel was appointed to
    represent him. On September 19, a public defender entered an appearance on
    Guy’s behalf.
    [6]   On September 26, Guy filed a pro se letter with the court, requesting a new
    public defender because of a claimed conflict of interest and asking for a “fast
    and speedy” trial. Appellant’s Appendix Vol. 2 at 46. The CCS entry did not
    mention Guy’s request for a speedy trial, indicating only that the
    communication concerned counsel appointment. On October 13, the trial court
    issued an order setting the correspondence for a hearing on October 31, and it
    provided a copy of Guy’s letter to defense counsel. The State did not receive a
    copy of Guy’s September 26 correspondence.
    [7]   At the October 31, 2016 hearing, the trial court addressed having received the
    written communication from Guy that asserted a conflict with counsel and
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021   Page 3 of 18
    “also included a request for a speedy trial.” Supp. Tr. Vol. 2 at 4; Appellant’s
    Appendix Vol. 2 at 81. The court indicated, “[A]t that point, we already had an
    appearance in by [defense counsel], so any requests for a speedy trial needs to
    come through counsel.” 1 Id. Guy’s counsel acknowledged that she was aware
    of Guy’s desire for a speedy trial and stated that because the trial was already
    set for November 30, 2016, which was within seventy days of his request, she
    did not believe it was necessary for her to take further action. 2 Guy indicated
    acceptance of his counsel at the hearing and withdrew his request for
    replacement counsel.
    [8]   At the November 14 final pretrial conference, the State moved to continue the
    trial because the prosecutor would be out of state and unable to try the case on
    November 30, 2016, and Guy objected. The State’s plea offer to Guy was
    addressed at the pretrial conference and included in the court’s pretrial order,
    which showed that the offer was: Guy would plead open to aggravated battery
    and the rest of the charges would be dropped, otherwise the State intended to
    file an attempted murder count on November 18. The court took the State’s
    motion to continue under advisement pending review of Guy’s speedy trial
    1
    Prior to the October 31 hearing, Guy again requested different counsel, as well as a different prosecutor and
    judge. Although repeatedly informed that he needed to speak through counsel so long as he was represented
    by counsel, Guy continued through the span of the case to contact the court directly on multiple occasions.
    2
    Seventy days from the September 26, 2016 request was December 5, 2016.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021                   Page 4 of 18
    request. On November 14, Guy again requested appointment of different
    counsel.
    [9]    On November 17, the court denied the State’s motion to continue, finding that
    the chief deputy prosecutor could try the case and noting that Guy had asserted
    a request for a speedy trial. Regarding such request, the trial court specifically
    found: (1) that it had informed Guy and defense counsel that his request for a
    speedy trial needed to be made through his counsel, but that the State had not
    filed a motion to strike the request, and (2) that Guy had repeatedly asserted his
    desire for a speedy trial, and objected to any continuance beyond the seventy-
    day limit, which was affirmed by counsel, though counsel did not file a Crim.
    R. 4 motion because the trial was already set for November 30, 2016, within the
    speedy trial time frame.
    [10]   On November 18, 2016, the State moved to amend the charging information to
    add a charge of Level 1 felony attempted murder, and Guy objected. On
    November 21, the State filed a brief in support, asserting that the amendment
    did not impede Guy’s ability to present a defense because there were no new
    witnesses, no new locations, no new affirmative acts, and “the allegation
    contained in Count l: Aggravated Battery has simply been magnified to reflect
    an attempt to kill the same victim in Count I.” 3 Appellant’s Appendix Vol. 2 at 91.
    The motion noted that while Guy “apparently” had made a speedy trial
    3
    The record reflects that proposed amendment to add a charge of attempted murder had been discussed with
    Guy’s counsel as early as October 31.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021            Page 5 of 18
    request, “the State [] has not seen such a request.” Id. at 90. On November 21,
    the State also filed a motion to strike Guy’s September 26 speedy trial request
    that the State became aware of at the October 31 hearing.
    [11]   On November 22, following a hearing, the trial court granted the State’s motion
    to amend, but denied the State’s motion to strike Guy’s speedy trial request,
    indicating that trial remained set for November 30. On November 23, the court
    held an initial hearing on the amended information. Guy made an oral motion
    to continue trial, which was granted over the State’s objection. The State filed a
    motion to reconsider the denial of its motion to strike Guy’s pro se request for a
    speedy trial, which the court set for hearing on November 30. On November
    30, Guy filed a motion requesting a determination of which party should be
    charged with the delay caused by the continuance and filed a “Motion to be
    Released,” seeking discharge. 4 Appellant’s Appendix Vol. 2 at 9.
    [12]   The court issued an order on December 7, 2016, covering various pending
    matters. The trial court granted the State’s motion to reconsider and struck
    Guy’s September 26, 2016 request for a speedy trial because it had been
    “improperly filed directly by defendant when he was represented by counsel”
    and the State had no notice of the request until October 31, 2016, when defense
    counsel adopted Guy’s request. Id. at 123. The court found that in such
    4
    Also on November 30, Guy’s counsel requested that another public defender be appointed due to her
    resignation. On December 1, the court appointed replacement counsel, who declined appointment. On
    December 9, the court appointed replacement counsel for Guy.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021            Page 6 of 18
    circumstances it would be “patently unfair to the State to hold it to a speedy
    trial demand of which it never had notice until more than 30 days after it was
    ‘filed.’” Id. at 123-24. The trial court concluded that Guy’s Crim. R. 4(B)
    speedy trial right “was triggered as of October 31, 2016” and ordered trial to be
    reset to January 3, 2017, which was within seventy days of October 31.
    Appellant’s Appendix Vol. 2 at 124. Because it struck the September 26, 2016 pro
    se speedy trial request, the court denied Guy’s Motion to be Released. Guy
    moved to withdraw his previous motion to continue, which the trial court
    denied, observing that the motion to continue was granted in open court and
    that the court acted accordingly by not proceeding to trial on November 30.
    The court charged the delay resulting from the continuance to Guy. On
    December 20, 2016, Guy withdrew his request for an early trial and requested a
    continuance. Id. at 11, 135.
    [13]   In 2017, competency and sanity evaluations occurred, both of which found Guy
    competent to stand trial and determined that he was able to appreciate the
    wrongfulness of his actions at the time of the alleged offense. In mid-2018, Guy
    petitioned for the appointment of a special prosecutor, which was ultimately
    denied. In November 2018, he filed a notice of insanity defense and requests
    for an additional competency evaluation, for appointment of new counsel, and
    for a continuance. The court ordered the additional evaluation, which found
    Guy competent to stand trial. The court did not appoint new counsel, and Guy
    withdrew his insanity defense.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021   Page 7 of 18
    [14]   The first jury trial occurred March 18-22, 2019. The jury returned a guilty
    verdict on the criminal recklessness and resisting law enforcement charges, and
    a not guilty verdict on the attempted murder charge. The jury was unable to
    reach a verdict on the aggravated battery charge. The trial court entered
    judgment of acquittal on the attempted murder charge but did not enter
    judgment of conviction on the criminal recklessness and resisting law
    enforcement verdicts “due to the necessity of scheduling a new trial” on the
    aggravated battery charge. Appellant’s Appendix Vol. 3 at 94.
    [15]   A second jury trial on the aggravated battery charge was held on September 23-
    26, 2019. The jury found Guy guilty of that offense. On October 24, 2019, the
    trial court entered convictions for Level 3 felony aggravated battery and Class A
    misdemeanor resisting law enforcement; it did not enter judgment of conviction
    on the criminal recklessness guilty verdict due to double jeopardy concerns.
    The court sentenced Guy to concurrent terms of thirteen years and one year on
    his two convictions. He now appeals. Additional facts will be provided below
    as necessary.
    Discussion & Decision
    I. Retrial on Aggravated Battery
    [16]   Guy contends that his state constitutional double jeopardy protections were
    violated by his retrial and subsequent conviction for aggravated battery. Guy’s
    position is that his acquittal on the attempted murder charge precluded
    relitigation and conviction of the aggravated battery charge because it stemmed
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021   Page 8 of 18
    from “the very same conduct,” namely attacking David by shooting him in the
    head and/or striking him in the head with a bat. Appellant’s Brief at 21. He
    urges that the second trial and conviction ran afoul of the actual evidence test
    enunciated by our Supreme Court in Richardson v. State, 
    717 N.E.2d 32
     (Ind.
    1999). 5 We review Guy’s challenge de novo. Cleary v. State, 
    23 N.E.3d 664
    ,
    668 (Ind. 2015).
    [17]   We first observe that, “[g]enerally speaking, retrial following a hung jury does
    not violate the Double Jeopardy Clause.” Hoover v. State, 
    918 N.E.2d 724
    , 733-
    34 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009) (citing Richardson v. United States, 
    468 U.S. 317
    , 324
    (1984) and Young v. State, 
    482 N.E.2d 246
    , 249 (Ind. 1985) (“It is well settled
    that a hung jury operates to discharge the operation of double jeopardy and a
    new trial is not barred in such a situation.”)), trans. denied. This is so because,
    under the doctrine of continuing jeopardy, “a defendant who is retried
    following a hung jury is not placed in jeopardy twice for the same offense,
    because the initial jeopardy that attaches to a charge is simply suspended by the
    jury’s failure to reach a verdict.” Cleary, 23 N.E.3d at 673 (quoting Davenport v.
    State, 
    734 N.E.2d 622
    , 625 (Ind. Ct. App. 2000)). “Furthermore, ‘[t]he
    5
    We recognize that, recently, our Supreme Court issued two opinions that significantly altered the approach
    to claims of substantive double jeopardy – those claims of double jeopardy that are based on multiple
    convictions in a single prosecution. See Wadle v. State, 
    151 N.E.3d 227
     (Ind. 2020) and Powell v. State 
    151 N.E.3d 256
     (Ind. 2020). The Wadle Court noted that its holding did not extend to claims of “procedural
    double jeopardy”—where a defendant is charged with the same offense in successive prosecutions. 152
    N.E.3d at 244 n.15 (“Because Wadle’s case presents no question of procedural double jeopardy, we expressly
    reserve any conclusion on whether to overrule Richardson in that context.”).
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021                Page 9 of 18
    Government, like the defendant, is entitled to resolution of the case by verdict
    from the jury.’” Id. (quoting Richardson, 
    468 U.S. at 326
    .)
    [18]   Guy claims, however, that his state constitutional double jeopardy rights were
    violated because the same evidence was used to convict him of aggravated
    battery in the second trial as had been used to acquit him of attempted murder
    in the first trial. In this regard, Guy directs us to Garrett v. State, 
    992 N.E.2d 710
    , 714 (Ind. 2013), where our Supreme Court expanded the reach of
    Richardson’s actual evidence test 6 to cases in which there has been an acquittal
    on one charge and retrial on another charge after a hung jury.
    [19]   In Garrett, the defendant was charged with multiple counts, including two
    separate, but identically worded, counts of rape. At his first trial, evidence was
    presented of the two separate incidents of rape. The jury found him not guilty
    on the first-occurring rape (Rape A) but deadlocked on the second (Rape B).
    When he was retried on the deadlocked rape count, the State presented
    evidence of both alleged rapes, and he was found guilty. After his conviction
    was affirmed on direct appeal, Garrett sought post-conviction relief, arguing
    that his trial and appellate counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to
    challenge alleged violations of double jeopardy protections. The trial court
    denied post-conviction relief, we affirmed on appeal, and our Supreme Court
    6
    Under the Richardson actual evidence test, “a defendant must demonstrate a reasonable possibility that the
    evidentiary facts used by the fact-finder to establish the essential elements of one offense may also have been
    used to establish the essential elements of a second challenged offense.” Richardson, 717 N.E.2d at 53.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021                  Page 10 of 18
    accepted transfer. Garrett v. State, 
    965 N.E.2d 115
     (Ind. Ct. App. 2012), trans.
    granted.
    [20]   The Court found, first, that retrial on the second rape count, upon which the
    jury had deadlocked, was not procedurally barred. Then, as a matter of first
    impression, it recognized a “slightly modified” Richardson actual evidence test
    and held that a double jeopardy violation may occur on retrial if “there is a
    reasonable possibility that the evidentiary facts used by the fact-finder to
    establish the essential elements of the offense for which the defendant was
    acquitted may also have been used to establish all of the essential elements of
    the offense for which the defendant was convicted.” Garrett, 992 N.E.2d at 723.
    The Court concluded that a violation had occurred in that case because, on
    retrial, “the State presented the same evidence of Rape A—the first-in-time
    rape—on which the State relied in the first trial and upon which the jury found
    Garrett not guilty” but presented very little evidence “concerning Rape B—the
    second-in-time rape,” which all parties had agreed was at stake on retrial. Id.
    Given that record, the Court concluded that “there is reasonable possibility that
    the evidentiary facts used by the jury in the first trial to establish the essential
    elements of Rape, for which Garrett was acquitted, may also have been used on
    retrial to establish all of the essential elements of Rape for which Garrett was
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021   Page 11 of 18
    convicted[,]” and thus Garrett “was twice prosecuted for the same offense[.]” 7
    Id.
    [21]   Here, Guy argues that, similar to Garrett, “[t]here was more than a reasonable
    possibility that the evidentiary facts used by the jury to establish the essential
    elements of attempted murder, of which Guy was acquitted, and aggravated
    battery, of which was convicted, were the same.” Appellant’s Brief at 15. We
    find, however, that Garrett presents a different scenario from that before us and
    does not lead us to the conclusion that a double jeopardy violation occurred.
    Unlike in Garrett, the State in the present case did not get a second bite at an
    acquitted charge. In other words, Guy was not put in jeopardy of being twice
    prosecuted for the same offense, here attempted murder, after first being
    acquitted of it.
    [22]   We find that Guy’s case is more akin to the situation presented in Cleary, where
    the defendant drank alcohol, drove, and collided with a service vehicle parked
    on the side of the road, killing a man. Cleary was charged with five criminal
    counts and three infractions, all stemming from the one collision. The jury
    found that Cleary was guilty of Counts IV and V, which were misdemeanors,
    and had committed the infractions alleged in Counts VI and VII, but it
    deadlocked on Counts I, II, and III, which were two felonies and a Class A
    7
    Although it found a double jeopardy violation, the Court affirmed the denial of post-conviction relief,
    finding that neither trial counsel nor appellate counsel provided ineffective assistance. Garrett, 992 N.E.2d at
    723-24.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021                   Page 12 of 18
    misdemeanor. That is, the jury reached a verdict of guilty on the lesser-
    included OWI misdemeanors but deadlocked on the greater offenses that
    required proof that Cleary caused the victim’s death and proof of a BAC greater
    than .15. No judgment of conviction was entered, and Cleary was retried on all
    eight counts and found guilty of Counts I-V and liable for Counts VI and VII,
    and he admitted to Count VIII. The trial court entered judgment of conviction
    on Count I, Class B felony Causing death when operating a motor vehicle with
    a BAC of at least 0.15, and Counts VI, VII, and VIII, three infractions. Cleary
    appealed, arguing, among other things, that his second prosecution should have
    been barred by double jeopardy, and this court affirmed his convictions.
    [23]   The Supreme Court granted transfer and, as is relevant here, addressed Cleary’s
    Indiana constitutional double jeopardy claim that his retrial on the greater
    offenses violated Richardson’s statutory elements and actual evidence tests. The
    Cleary Court explained, “[W]e do not believe the tests apply at all[,]” and,
    rather, “the doctrine of continuing jeopardy applies to retrial of the greater
    offenses” upon which the jury had been deadlocked. Cleary, 123 N.E.3d at 673.
    It found that although Cleary’s second trial exposed him to “jeopardy,” it was
    not a new jeopardy distinct from his first trial. Id. The Cleary Court
    acknowledged Garrett’s expansion of the actual evidence test to cases of retrial
    following acquittal and deadlocked charges, but found that Garrett “does not
    invite or compel application of either of Richardson’s tests to Cleary’s case”
    because (1) Garrett involved two distinct rapes whereas in Cleary’s case “there
    was only one act of drunk driving for which Cleary could be convicted[,]” and
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021   Page 13 of 18
    (2) the evidence used in the retrial raised the possibility that Garrett was
    convicted based on the facts underlying the rape for which he had been
    previously acquitted – giving the impermissible second bite at the apple – which
    was not a concern in Cleary’s case because “he was not acquitted or convicted
    on Counts I, II, or III at his first trial.” Id. at 675. “His jury deadlocked, and
    the State may continue to pursue prosecutions after a hung jury.” Id. This is
    what occurred here as well, with the State pursuing a second prosecution for
    aggravated battery after the jury hung on that charge.
    [24]   Alternatively, Guy argues that collateral estoppel precluded the State from
    retrying him, asserting that the jury already made a determination about “the
    issues of Guy’s intent and the conduct he engaged in” and that the State could
    not relitigate those matters in a second trial. Appellant’s Brief at 24. We have
    recognized that the doctrine of collateral estoppel (also referred to as issue
    preclusion) is not the same as double jeopardy, “but rather is embodied within
    the protection against double jeopardy.” Harris v. State, 
    9 N.E.3d 679
    , 683 (Ind.
    Ct. App. 2013) (quoting Coleman v. State, 
    946 N.E.2d 1160
    , 1165 (Ind. 2011)),
    trans. denied. “[T]he traditional bar of jeopardy prohibits the prosecution of the
    crime itself, whereas collateral estoppel, in a more modest fashion, simply
    forbids the government from relitigating certain facts in order to establish the
    fact of the crime.” 
    Id.
     (internal quotation omitted). Essentially the doctrine of
    collateral estoppel “precludes the Government from relitigating any issue that
    was necessarily decided by a jury’s acquittal in a prior trial.” 
    Id.
     (quoting Yeager
    v. United States, 
    557 U.S. 110
    , 119 (2009)).
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021   Page 14 of 18
    [25]   Contrary to Guy’s suggestion, the State was not relitigating an issue “that was
    necessarily decided by the jury’s acquittal in a prior trial.” 
    Id.
     Although it
    acquitted Guy of attempted murder, the jury did not conclude that the State
    failed to prove that he shot and/or clubbed David, as reflected by the guilty
    verdict for Level 6 felony criminal recklessness, which required the jury to find
    that Guy performed an act with a deadly weapon that created a substantial risk
    of bodily injury to David. See 
    Ind. Code § 35-42-2-2
    (b)(1)(a). Rather, it is
    apparent that the jury simply found that the State failed to prove beyond a
    reasonable doubt that Guy did not act with specific intent to kill David. See
    I.C. §§ 35-42-1-1(1) and 35-41-5-1(a); Rosales v. State, 
    23 N.E.3d 8
    , 12 (Ind.
    2015) (conviction for attempted murder requires proof of specific intent to kill).
    On the other hand, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision
    regarding whether he knowingly or intentionally inflicted injury on David that
    created a substantial risk of death. See I.C. § 35-42-2-1.5.
    [26]   For all the above reasons, we find that neither double jeopardy nor collateral
    estoppel precluded his conviction for aggravated battery in a second trial. See
    Harris, 9 N.E.3d at 686 (neither Garrett’s actual evidence test nor collateral
    estoppel barred retrial after a hung sexual misconduct charge and rape
    acquittal) and Hoover, 918 N.E.2d at 734 (defendant’s acquittal of murder in
    first trial did not bar his retrial on felony-murder charge after jury was
    deadlocked on felony-murder in first trial).
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021   Page 15 of 18
    II. Speedy Trial
    [27]   Guy argues the trial court erred when it denied his November 30, 2016 motion
    that sought release or discharge 8 based on his pro se correspondence filed on
    September 26, 2016 that asked for a “fast and speedy trial.” Appellant’s Appendix
    Vol. 2 at 46. The broad goal of Indiana’s Criminal Rule 4 is to provide
    functionality to a criminal defendant’s fundamental and constitutionally
    protected right to a speedy trial. Austin v. State, 
    997 N.E.2d 1027
    , 1037 (Ind.
    2013). It places an affirmative duty on the State to bring the defendant to trial,
    but at the same time is not intended to be a mechanism for providing
    defendants a technical means to escape prosecution. 
    Id.
    [28]   Crim. R. 4(B)(1) provides, in part, that if a defendant moves for an early trial,
    he shall be discharged if not brought to trial within seventy calendar days from
    the date of such motion. Our Supreme Court has stated that, “once counsel [is]
    appointed, [a d]efendant sp[eaks] to the court through counsel.” Underwood v.
    State, 
    722 N.E.2d 828
    , 832 (Ind. 2000). In that situation, a trial court is not
    required to accept the petition and may strike it. See id.; see also Schepers v. State,
    
    980 N.E.2d 883
    , 887 (Ind. Ct. App. 2012) (trial court properly denied
    defendant’s motion to dismiss under Crim. R. 4(B)(1) where he had filed
    motion pro se while represented by counsel).
    8
    Guy asserts that, although his motion used language asking for “release” rather than “discharge,” the
    nature of the request was clear and adequately brought his claim to the court’s attention. We agree, and our
    analysis considers it as such.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021                Page 16 of 18
    [29]   Our Supreme Court, in addressing the appropriate standard of review of a trial
    court’s decision on a motion for discharge, recognized that “sometimes the trial
    court must resolve disputed facts, but on other occasions simply applies the law
    to disputed facts.” Austin, 997 N.E.2d at 1039. Where, as here, the relevant
    facts are undisputed and the issue is a question of law, “the standard of review –
    like for all questions of law – is de novo.” Id.; see also Battering v. State, 
    150 N.E.3d 597
    , 600 (Ind. 2020).
    [30]   In this case, Guy’s written correspondence that, among other things, asked for a
    “fast and speedy trial” was filed on September 26. Appellant’s Appendix Vol. 2 at
    46. There is no dispute that he was already represented by counsel at that point
    and that he knew that he was. The State was not made aware of his speedy trial
    request until the October 31, 2016 hearing, at which time counsel for Guy
    confirmed agreement with the request but took no additional action because
    trial was already set for November 30, within the rule’s seventy-day parameters.
    The State did not receive a copy of the correspondence until the November 21
    hearing. Under these facts, we agree with the trial court that, at the earliest,
    Guy’s speedy trial request began to run on October 31, such that the State had
    until January 9, 2017 to try Guy.
    [31]   On November 22, the trial court granted the State’s motion to amend the
    charging information and it continued trial to January 3, 2017, which was
    within seventy days of October 31. Thereafter, on November 30, Guy filed his
    motion for release, seeking discharge on the basis that he was not brought to
    trial within seventy days of his September 26, 2016 request. On December 7,
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021   Page 17 of 18
    the trial court struck Guy’s September 26 request, per the State’s motion, and it
    denied Guy’s motion for release/discharge, which he now appeals. We find no
    error with the court’s denial of Guy’s motion. As stated, the trial court was
    within its authority to not recognize his September 26 pro se motion, especially
    given that the State had no notice of it until over thirty days later, and instead
    determine that October 31 was the earliest possible start date of his speedy trial
    request. Thus, as of November 30, when Guy filed his motion, the time to try
    him had not yet passed, and the court properly denied his motion for discharge.
    Stephenson v. State, 
    742 N.E.2d 463
    , 487, n. 21 (Ind. 2001), cert. denied, 
    524 U.S. 1105
     (2002) (“It is well established that when a motion for discharge for a
    Criminal Rule 4 violation is made prematurely, it is properly denied.”)
    [32]   We reject Guy’s related claim that the speedy trial request “was not stricken
    until well after the 70th day from when the request had been made.” Appellant’s
    Brief at 16. This again is premised on Guy’s September 26 request, which we
    have already found was improper and not effective to begin the proverbial
    ticking of the Crim. R. 4(B) clock. The trial court did not err when it denied
    Guy’s motion for discharge.
    [33]   Judgment affirmed.
    Mathias, J. and Weissmann, J., concur.
    Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 19A-CR-2756 | January 19, 2021   Page 18 of 18