State v. Spence

Banke, Chief Judge.

At issue in this appeal is whether a criminal defendant can file a valid demand for trial, within the contemplation of OCGA § 17-7-170 (a), with respect to a traffic charge which has not yet been formally docketed or filed in any court.

The defendant in this case was arrested by a state patrolman on February 1, 1985, on charges of driving under the influence and violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. A separate “Uniform *751Traffic Citation, Summons, Accusation/Warning” was executed by the patrolman with respect to each offense. See generally OCGA § 40-13-1. The…