People of Michigan v. Christopher Lewis King ( 2023 )


Menu:
  •             If this opinion indicates that it is “FOR PUBLICATION,” it is subject to
    revision until final publication in the Michigan Appeals Reports.
    STATE OF MICHIGAN
    COURT OF APPEALS
    PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN,                                     UNPUBLISHED
    December 21, 2023
    Plaintiff-Appellee,
    v                                                                    No. 363916
    Jackson Circuit Court
    CHRISTOPHER LEWIS KING,                                              LC No. 20-001609-FC
    Defendant-Appellant.
    Before: RIORDAN, P.J., and MURRAY and M. J. KELLY, JJ.
    PER CURIAM.
    Following a jury trial, defendant, Christopher King, was convicted of assault with intent to
    murder, MCL 750.83; carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony (felony-firearm), MCL
    750.227b; and carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), MCL 750.227. He appeals by delayed leave
    granted,1 arguing that his minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for the assault with intent
    to murder conviction is unreasonable and improper. For the reasons set forth in this opinion, we
    vacate King’s sentence on the assault with intent to murder conviction and remand for
    resentencing.
    I. BASIC FACTS
    On March 28, 2020, at approximately 10:00 p.m., King pulled beside a vehicle driven by
    Ty Marshall. He displayed a handgun and Marshall quickly backed his vehicle up and sped away
    from the area. King pursued him at a high rate of speed, firing his gun. Several bullets struck
    Marshall’s vehicle. Marshall called 9-1-1 and continued to flee. At times, King was so close to
    Marshall’s vehicle that Marshall could not see the headlights of King’s vehicle. Eventually,
    Marshall arrived at his house, parked beside the garage, and entered the house through the garage.
    King pulled into the driveway, bumping into Marshall’s vehicle and began shooting with an assault
    rifle. He fired at least five shots in the direction of the house and garage. He damaged the garage,
    1
    People v King, unpublished order of the Court of Appeals, entered May 8, 2023 (Docket
    No. 363916).
    -1-
    but not the house. Marshall was able to retrieve a shotgun from a gun safe, and he returned fire.
    King then left the area. He was apprehended by law enforcement within one hour of the start of
    the incident. At that time, he was given a preliminary breath test, which indicated that his blood
    alcohol content was 0.197. King did not testify at trial because he did not have a clear memory of
    the incident. The jury found that he was guilty of assault with intent to murder, felony-firearm,
    and CCW.
    At sentencing, King’s lawyer asked for a “within the guidelines” sentence, noting that King
    had not testified at trial because he had no memory of what had occurred. The trial court asked if
    there was anything that King wanted to tell the court. The following exchange then occurred:
    The Defendant. Yes.         I am sorry for everything that happened and
    (inaudible) we got here.
    The Court. Well why, why, why don’t you start by telling me one of the
    big mysteries in the trial. Why, why, why were you chasing this guy down with a
    gun. I mean he, he apparently—the two of you knew each other. So you know I
    guess me and the jury, the only thing we could figure out through the whole thing
    is it was some kind of drug deal that went awry. Am, am, am I, am I wrong about
    that?
    The Defendant. No, Your Honor.
    The Court. Okay. So what, what were you, what were you driving down
    such that you had an AR-15 and a pistol and you were intent on shooting both at
    this guy quite a few times? I mean what was going on? In sleepy Hanover Horton.
    The Defendant. I don’t remember Your Honor.
    The Court. You don’t remember. So you, you, you, you—I mean, I mean
    roll up an AR-15, you’ve got to put the clip in there and slide the bolt back, turn the
    safety lever off. You, you’ve got a semiautomatic. You’ve got to, you’ve got to
    do the, you’ve got to slip a clip in there. You’ve got to rack one in there, turn the
    safety off. And then you’re driving at a high rate of speed. You’re shooting out of
    the vehicle. I, I mean that, that requires a certain presence of mind. I’m, I’m just
    not understanding how you can’t remember anything.
    The Defendant. I don’t either Your Honor. So . . .
    The Court. I, I just don’t think you want to tell me anything.
    * * *
    The Court. Well you know, it, it, it’s nice . . . that your mom writes you a
    really nice letter but, you know, you are taking zero accountability for what you
    did. And you know—and, and, and I don’t know. May, maybe they think it’s okay
    to drive around. You get in a beef with somebody about some hillbilly crack meth
    issue and you get to get out your AR-15 and start chasing them down to a house
    -2-
    where there’s an old man and teenaged girl and start shooting up their house with
    an AR-15.
    And you know, you’re damn lucky you’re even sitting here because the,
    because the victim got into his house and he managed to grab a 12 gauge shotgun
    and pump the, a round that you, that grazed you that you’re damn lucky he didn’t
    cut your spine in two. . . .
    The prosecution believed the probation department’s recommendation of 150 months for the
    assault conviction was fair, but noted that there was no reason that the court should not impose a
    sentence at the top of the minimum guidelines range.
    The court, however, decided to impose a sentence that exceeded the guidelines. The court
    reasoned:
    [I]n balancing the four goals of sentencing, to punish, to deter, looking at the
    protection of the community, looking at your rehabilitation, I mean you present to
    the court at 30 years of age with, you know, not, not a significant criminal history.
    You’ve got some juvenile record, a misdemeanor, no felony record. You were
    unemployed. Although I suspect I know what, what your actual level of
    employment was.
    It talks about methamphetamine down here in 2017 to 2019. I, I think we
    can probably change that right up to 2021, because I, I have little or no doubt that
    this has to do with some hillbilly crack activity that you were involved in.
    But even if it was I mean, you know, you’re out there with your—I, I, I
    don’t know if the alleged victim in this case was involved in that or not. I don’t
    know. There certainly wasn’t evidence produced. But it certainly was evidence
    that suggested you were involved in the drug trade.
    The guidelines in this matter call for, at, at the high end of the guidelines,
    you know, 180 months. So that divides down to 15 years at the high for assault
    with intent to murder.
    * * *
    . . . [I]f you look at the aggravating circumstances you got every one of
    them. I, I mean you’re chasing this poor kid, young kid down. And you know, and
    I don’t know what the deal is. I don’t know if he moved in on your turf. I, I, I don’t
    know if you, you, you owed him some, he owed you some money. I don’t know
    what it was.
    But you, you know, you armed yourself with a handgun and an AR-15 and
    in, in the, in, in the middle of the day started a, a, a high speed chase where you
    were firing a pistol and then you ultimately got an AR-15 and you fired it into an
    occupied dwelling with a senior citizen and, and a teenaged girl and a young man.
    And I mean there were multiple shells.
    -3-
    So, so I, I’m not going to sentence you to what, just within the guidelines.
    I’m going to exceed the guidelines.
    And on top of that I think you have absolutely no remorse. You tell me you
    have no recollection. But, but I don’t believe that. I think you knew exactly what
    you were doing.
    So it’s, on count number one, assault with intent to murder, I’m sentencing
    you to 20 to 30 years in the Department of Corrections.
    And, and I, I want the, the, the, the appellate courts to understand that when
    I, when I look at your wanton and willful disregard, arming yourself with, with a
    handgun and then an assault rifle in the middle of the day, trying to run down
    another vehicle, firing multiple shots, the pursuing him into his home where you
    were outside but then fired active rounds into a, a home occupied by three people
    and, you know, I, I, I, I think that there’s sufficient aggravating circumstances to
    justify that five years and I think it’s proportional.
    * * *
    And I’ve stated very clearly my substantial and compelling reasons for my
    departure. I think—and, and I’m highlighting your lack of remorse, the fact that
    you used multiple weapons, the fact that you, you know, pursued this young man
    over a long stretch of highway in the middle of the day, firing multiple different
    rounds at him, and I don’t think those things were adequately considered by the
    sentencing guidelines. So I’m adding that additional five years to your prison
    sentence.[2]
    This appeal by delayed leave follows.
    II. REASONABLENESS OF SENTENCE
    A. STANDARD OF REVIEW
    King argues that the trial court’s decision to impose a sentence that exceeded the
    recommended minimum guidelines range by 60 months resulted in an unreasonable and
    disproportionate sentence. Sentences that exceed the minimum guidelines range are reviewed for
    reasonableness. People v Lockridge, 
    498 Mich 358
    , 365; 
    870 NW2d 502
     (2015). “[T]he standard
    of review to be applied by appellate courts reviewing a sentence for reasonableness on appeal is
    abuse of discretion.” People v Steanhouse, 
    500 Mich 453
    , 471; 
    902 NW2d 327
     (2017).
    Michigan’s sentencing guidelines are advisory in all cases, id. at 470; however, courts must
    2
    We note that the trial court misstated the facts when justifying the sentencing decision. The
    record reflects that the shooting and high-speed chase occurred at 10:00 p.m. during March of
    2020, and although shots were fired at Marshall’s home, they only damaged the garage, not the
    house where Marshall’s grandfather and sister were located.
    -4-
    “continue to consult the applicable guidelines range and take it into account when imposing a
    sentence . . . [and] justify the sentence imposed in order to facilitate appellate review.” Lockridge,
    
    498 Mich at 392
    . Nevertheless, “the key test is whether the sentence is proportionate to the
    seriousness of the matter, not whether it departs from or adheres to the guidelines' recommended
    range.” Steanhouse, 500 Mich at 475 (quotation marks and citation omitted). A trial court abuses
    its discretion when the sentence imposed by the trial court is disproportionate to the seriousness of
    the circumstances involving the offense and the offender. Id. at 461.
    B. ANALYSIS
    To determine whether a sentence that exceeds the advisory guidelines range is more
    proportionate than a sentence within the guidelines, the sentencing court may consider “(1)
    whether the guidelines accurately reflect the seriousness of the crime; (2) factors not considered
    by the guidelines; and (3) factors considered by the guidelines but given inadequate weight.”
    People v Dixon-Bey, 
    321 Mich App 490
    , 524-525; 
    909 NW2d 458
     (2017) (quotation marks and
    citations omitted). However, a defendant’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination
    “extends to the sentencing phase of the trial,” making it unreasonable and improper for the
    sentencing court to punish a defendant for refusing to admit guilt. People v Conley, 
    270 Mich App 301
    , 314; 
    715 NW2d 377
     (2006) (quotation marks and citation omitted). Indeed, “a sentencing
    court cannot base a sentence even in part on a defendant’s refusal to admit guilt.” People v Dobek,
    
    274 Mich App 58
    , 104; 
    732 NW2d 546
     (2007) (emphasis added). Therefore, even if the trial
    court’s decision to exceed the guidelines was only partially based upon King’s refusal to admit
    guilt, then the sentence would be unreasonable.
    When evaluating whether a trial court’s sentencing decision was improperly influenced by
    a defendant’s failure to admit guilt, this Court considers the following factors:
    (1) the defendant’s maintenance of innocence after conviction; (2) the judge’s
    attempt to get the defendant to admit guilt; and (3) the appearance that had the
    defendant affirmatively admitted guilt, his sentence would not have been so severe.
    [Dobek, 
    274 Mich App at 104
    .]
    There is no solid distinction between “a defendant’s continued refusal to admit guilt and a
    defendant’s lack of remorse.” People v Wesley, 
    428 Mich 708
    , 720; 
    411 NW2d 159
     (1987)
    (BRICKLEY, J. concurring, joined by LEVIN, J.).3
    The first of the three factors that we must consider is the defendant’s maintenance of
    innocence after conviction. Dobek, 
    274 Mich App at 104
    . At sentencing, King did not maintain
    his innocence of any of the offenses for which he was convicted. Rather, he apologized for
    everything that happened. Additionally, when asked by the trial court why he chased Marshall
    3
    Justice BRICKLEY explained that if sentencing courts may not impose a higher sentence based on
    “a defendant’s continued refusal to admit his guilt,” they also may not do so “by finding a lack of
    remorse solely on the basis of that refusal.” Wesley, 
    428 Mich at 724
    . Although concurring
    statements are not binding authority, these statements are instructive. See Mays v Governor of
    Mich, 
    506 Mich 157
    , 188; 
    954 NW2d 139
     (2020).
    -5-
    down with a gun, King maintained that he did not remember. King never asserted that he did not
    shoot the guns at Marshall or that he did not have the intent to kill Marshall.
    The second factor that we must consider is the trial court’s attempt to get King to admit
    guilt. 
    Id.
     We conclude that, based upon the sentencing record, the trial court attempted to get
    King to admit guilt notwithstanding that King maintained he did not remember the incident. The
    court asked King to explain his behavior, which prompted King to apologize for his actions but
    assert that he did not remember the incident. In response, the court repeatedly articulated that it
    did not believe that King did not remember anything. The court speculated that King’s behavior
    was the result of a “drug deal that went awry” or “some hillbilly crack meth issue.” Although the
    trial court did not explicitly demand that King admit guilt, the court nevertheless stated that King
    did, in fact, remember what happened and the court assumed that King was deliberately
    withholding information. We conclude that the court’s statements were made to elicit an
    admission of guilt from King and when King refused to do so, the court chose to impose a sentence
    that exceeded the minimum guidelines range. See Conley, 
    270 Mich App at 303, 313-315
     (holding
    that although the trial court never asked the defendant to admit his guilt, it did ask the defendant
    for the location of the gun used in the defendant’s convicted offenses and, if the defendant had
    revealed that information, he would have incriminated himself). Similarly, in the present case,
    had King explained his behavior during the incident, he might have incriminated himself by
    admitting that he wanted to kill Marshall. Although he did not deny such an intent, his claim that
    he did not remember is not equivalent to an admission of guilt.
    The third factor considers whether it appears that the sentence would not have been so
    severe if the defendant affirmatively admitted guilt. 
    Id.
     Here, the trial court clearly did not believe
    King’s claimed lack of memory regarding his motivation for chasing and shooting at Marshall. It
    then equated King’s perceived untruthfulness with a lack of remorse. It partially justified its
    imposition of a sentence that exceeded the guidelines based upon King’s lack of remorse. We
    conclude that, even though the court relied upon other aggravating factors, such as the seriousness
    of King’s conduct, because the trial court made very clear its belief that King was lying when he
    stated that he did not remember why he chased Marshall and shot at him and because the trial court
    expressly relied, in part, on King’s lack of remorse to depart from the guidelines, there is an
    appearance that King’s sentence would not have been as severe had King admitted guilt. A
    sentence based even partially on a defendant’s refusal to admit guilt is unreasonable and improper.
    Id. at 104. Therefore, because the trial court’s departure sentence was likely based partially on
    King’s refusal to admit guilt and King’s lack of explanation, the trial court abused its discretion
    by imposing a sentence in excess of the sentencing guidelines.
    We vacate King’s sentence on the assault with intent to murder conviction and remand for
    resentencing consistent with this opinion. We do not retain jurisdiction.
    /s/ Michael J. Riordan
    /s/ Michael J. Kelly
    -6-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 363916

Filed Date: 12/21/2023

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 12/22/2023