United States v. Sylvester Atkins

BRIGHT, Circuit Judge.

Sylvester Atkins, age 26, appeals from a two-count conviction of distributing a controlled substance (heroin) in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The district judge dealt severely with Atkins, sentencing him to serve consecutive prison terms of 12 years on each count, a total of 24 years, plus a special three-year parole term on each sentence — an aggregate parole term of six years. Atkins appeals the convictions and raises these four contentions:(1) The trial court erred in refusing to dismiss the indictment for reasons of delay between the commission of the alleged…