COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA

Present: Judges Baker, Benton and Bray Argued at Richmond, Virginia

JOHN MADISON, S/K/A JOHN BRADLEY MADISON MEMORANDUM OPINION * BY v. Record No. 1102-96-2 JUDGE RICHARD S. BRAY JANUARY 20, 1998 COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF HANOVER COUNTY Richard H.C. Taylor, Judge R. Craig Evans (McCaul, Martin, Evans & Cook, P.C., on brief), for appellant.

Steven A. Witmer, Assistant Attorney General (James S. Gilmore, III, Attorney General, on brief), for appellee.

John Bradley Madison (defendant) appeals his conviction for several burglaries and related offenses, arguing that the prosecutions violated Code § 19.2-243, the "speedy trial" statute. We agree and reverse the convictions.

Defendant is familiar with the salient procedural history, and we recite only those circumstances necessary to a disposition of this appeal.

Defendant and codefendants, Carlton A. Vaughan, III, and Gerald E. Baker, Jr., were prosecuted before the trial court for several burglaries and attendant offenses. Each defendant was represented by separate counsel, but the respective prosecutions shared identical procedural courses, together with like motions, * Pursuant to Code § 17-116.010 this opinion is not designated for publication. arguments, orders and other events pertaining to the speedy trial issue. Accordingly, each defendant appealed his convictions to this Court, asserting that Code § 19.2-243 barred the disputed prosecutions and convictions.

In Baker v. Commonwealth, a panel of this Court concluded that the Commonwealth had "fail[ed] to provide a speedy trial as required by Code § 19.2-243" and reversed the convictions of codefendant Baker. 25 Va. App. 19, 20-21, 486 S.E.2d 111, 112, aff'd en banc, 26 Va. App. 175, 493 S.E.2d ___ (1997).

Finding that Baker controls the disposition of this appeal, we similarly reverse and dismiss the instant convictions.

Reversed and dismissed.

- 2 -