State of Maine v. Cory D. Kibbe , 2017 ME 231 ( 2017 )

MAINE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT Reporter of Decisions
Decision: 2017 ME 231 Docket: Ken-17-110
Argued: November 14, 2017
Decided: December 12, 2017
Panel: SAUFLEY, C.J., and ALEXANDER, MEAD, GORMAN, HJELM, and HUMPHREY, JJ.
STATE OF MAINE
v.
CORY D. KIBBE
PER CURIAM
[¶1] In 2004, Cory D. Kibbe pleaded guilty to gross sexual assault
(Class A), 17-A M.R.S. § 253(1)(B) (2016), and unlawful sexual contact
(Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 255-A(1)(E) (2016). The Superior Court (Kennebec
County, Clifford, J.) sentenced Kibbe to twenty years in prison with all but four
years suspended and eight years of probation for the gross sexual assault, and
to four years in prison, to run concurrently, for the unlawful sexual contact.
[¶2] Kibbe served his sentence and, thirteen years later, in 2017, after a
testimonial hearing, the court (Nale, J.) ordered Kibbe to spend four years in
prison after granting the State’s motion to revoke Kibbe’s probation on the
grounds that Kibbe failed to report to his probation officer as required on two
occasions and “walk[ed] in front of the Waterville public school.” We now
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consider the sufficiency of the evidence supporting the court’s revocation of
Kibbe’s probation.1
[¶3] As applies to this matter, probation may be revoked when “the
alleged violation does not constitute a crime and the court finds by a
preponderance of the evidence that the person [who is on probation] has
inexcusably failed to comply with a requirement imposed as a condition of
probation.” 17-A M.R.S. § 1206(6) (2016). It is the State’s burden to establish
these elements. State v. James, 2002 ME 86, ¶ 9, 797 A.2d 732. Kibbe
challenges only the determination that he was still on probation at the time of
his alleged probation violations.
[¶4] Notwithstanding the deferential standard by which we review the
sufficiency of the evidence supporting such a factual finding—clear error—we
conclude in this matter that the State failed to meet its burden. See State v.
Palmer, 2016 ME 120, ¶ 11, 145 A.3d 561. Our conclusion is perhaps best
demonstrated by a summary of what occurred during the hearing.
[¶5] The State presented one witness at the hearing—Kibbe’s
probation officer. On direct examination by the State, the probation officer
1 We granted Kibbe a certificate of probable cause on his petition seeking discretionary review
of the court’s decision. See 17-A M.R.S. § 1207(1) (2016); M.R. App. P. 19(a)(ii) (Tower 2016);
M.R. App. P. 19(a)(2)(B).
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testified that Kibbe was seen in front of a Waterville public school on
August 30, 2016, at a time when school was not in session, in violation of a
probation condition that he not be within five hundred feet of a school, and
that Kibbe had failed to report to her as required on September 22, 2016;
September 26, 2016; and October 6, 2016, for which he was arrested on
October 6, 2016. The State’s attorney did not ask the probation officer during
direct examination if Kibbe was still on probation on these dates, and the
probation officer did not testify on that issue.
[¶6] On cross-examination, Kibbe’s attorney questioned the probation
officer regarding whether Kibbe was on probation at the time of the alleged
violations:
Q So I have a date of December 16th of 2007 of Mr. Kibbe’s
release that was provided to me by the Department of
Corrections. But is it correct that you’re not sure when he
was originally released?
A I don’t have that date off the top of my head.
Q So you -- as you sit here today, you believe that Mr. Kibbe is
still on probation though, correct?
A Yes.
Q And he’s -- was subject to eight years of probation?
A That’s possible.
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Q You’re not sure how many years of probation?
A I don’t. I only have a hunch.
Q It’s eight years. I think we can probably agree that it’s eight
years. Can we agree that it’s eight years of probation?
A Yes.
When asked when Kibbe was released from prison after serving the
unsuspended portion of his sentence, the probation officer testified, “I -- I
don’t have it off the top of my head. No, I didn’t bring that with me.” After
Kibbe’s attorney suggested that Kibbe was released from prison on
December 16, 2007, the probation officer agreed that his probation
commenced on December 17, 2007, and that, barring other factors, Kibbe’s
eight-year probation term therefore would have expired in December of 2015,
several months before the dates of the alleged probation violations:
A . . . . His probation did start December 17th, 2007.
THE COURT: Probation would begin when?
THE WITNESS: December 17th, 2007.
THE COURT: December 17th?
THE WITNESS: December 17th, 2007.
THE COURT: Thank you. And that would run for eight
years?
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THE WITNESS: Yes.
[¶7] Although the probation officer testified on cross-examination that
Kibbe was subject to prior partial probation revocations of 440 days and six
months, she also testified that she was not sure how long Kibbe’s probation
was tolled while he served time on those prior revocations, or whether and to
what extent he received good time credits that would reduce the tolled period.
See 17-A M.R.S. §§ 1206(7-A), 1253(8)(A), (D) (2016). The probation officer
agreed that good time credits would affect the probation tolling dates, but
when Kibbe’s attorney inquired, “The problem is, you’re not sure when it was
tolled for those, correct?” the probation officer answered, “I don’t have that on
me, no.” When asked, “So at this point, you don’t actually have any records
with you for the Court to show that Mr. Kibbe was on probation on
October 6th?” the probation officer responded, “No, I don’t have that with me.
I’m sure I can make a phone call and get all the tolling dates.”
[¶8] On redirect examination, the probation officer testified that
Kibbe’s prior probation revocations would have extended his probationary
period by nineteen months from the initial end of his probation in December
of 2015, and that she did not receive a notification from the Department of
Corrections flagging system informing her that Kibbe’s probation had ended.
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[¶9] On recross-examination, Kibbe’s attorney inquired further into the
effect of the prior probation revocations:
Q This whole tolling, I mean, you were led through a bunch of
questions here on tolling but the bottom line is, you
mentioned 440 days. You don’t know that Mr. Kibbe was
actually -- his probation was tolled for 440 days, correct?
A No. I can probably get some dates, if you’d like.
Q But for all you know here today, he could have been
sentenced to 440 days, got a significant amount of good
time and been released long before that 440 days, correct?
A I don’t know what the good time would have been on it.
The State rested without offering any additional evidence.2
[¶10] In short, the record makes clear that the State’s single witness—
Kibbe’s probation officer—was unable to testify with any degree of certainty
that Kibbe was still on probation on October 6, 2016. She had neither
knowledge of nor information about the actual dates of Kibbe’s probation.3
2 While it was considering what disposition to impose for the probation violation, the court took
a recess, after which the State’s attorney indicated, “We’ve also confirmed with the Department of
Corrections that [Kibbe] would, barring any further time in, remain on probation through
September of next year.” To the extent that such vague information could have aided the court in
its findings, the court had already found that Kibbe violated his probation by the time the State
purported to obtain confirmation from the Department of Corrections, and in any event, the
statements of an attorney are not evidence, see State v. Begin, 2015 ME 86, ¶ 28, 120 A.3d 97.
3 Moreover, we cannot be certain that the court correctly assigned the burden of proof to the
State throughout the hearing. See State v. James, 2002 ME 86, ¶ 9, 797 A.2d 732. After Kibbe’s
attorney asked the probation officer on cross-examination, “Do you have any evidence that [Kibbe]
was on probation at that time?” the court inquired of Kibbe’s attorney, “Do you have any evidence
that he was not on probation?” Later, after Kibbe’s attorney challenged during closing argument
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See 17-A M.R.S. § 1253(8)(A), (D). It was the State’s burden to prove, by a
preponderance of the evidence, that Kibbe was on probation at the time of his
alleged probation violations; the State failed to meet that burden.4 See
17-A M.R.S. § 1206(6); James, 2002 ME 86, ¶ 9, 797 A.2d 732. Accordingly, we
vacate the judgment revoking Kibbe’s probation.5
The entry is:
Judgment vacated. Remanded for entry of an
order denying the State’s probation revocation
motion.
the State’s proof that Kibbe was on probation at the relevant time, the court stated, “How do I know
he wasn’t? See, that’s the -- I think we’re taking -- looking at this the wrong way, in my eyes. I’m
here and I’m -- someone needs to convince me that he is -- was not on probation.” When Kibbe’s
attorney asked, “Well, Your Honor, are you suggesting that the defendant has the burden of
proof --,” the court stated, “I’m not suggesting that. I’m not suggesting that one bit. I’m saying, it’s
[the State’s] burden. And what I’ve heard from the district attorney’s office, I’m convinced that he
was on probation.”
4 To prevent such failures in calculating probationary periods in future matters—particularly
those in which there is a serious question as to whether the probationer is still on probation—the
State and the State’s witness must be prepared to establish that probation is, in fact, still in effect.
The better practice is for the State to file documentation with its motion to revoke probation
detailing the relevant dates.
5 We decline the parties’ alternative request to remand the matter for a new hearing. Having
failed to meet its burden, there is no basis upon which to allow the State a second attempt to prove
those facts.
8
Kevin P. Sullivan, Esq. (orally), Sullivan Law, P.C., Augusta, for appellant Cory
D. Kibbe
Maeghan Maloney, District Attorney, and Michael H. Madigan, Asst. Dist. Atty.
(orally), Prosecutorial District No. Four, Augusta, for appellee State of Maine
Kennebec County Superior Court docket number CR-2004-357
FOR CLERK REFERENCE ONLY