State v. T. Johnson ( 2023 )


Menu:
  •                1                                                                             01/10/2023
    \;3'.   -
    IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
    Case Number: DA 21-0326
    DA 21-0326
    FILED
    STATE OF MONTANA,
    JAN 10 2023
    Bowen Greenwood
    Clerk of Supreme Court
    State of Montana
    Plaintiff and Appellee,
    v.                                                          ORDER
    TIMOTHY JOHNSON,
    Defendant and Appellant.
    Timothy Johnson appeals his Eighteenth Judicial District Court sentence in Gallatin
    County Cause No. DC-20-229C for one count of Sexual Intercourse Without Consent. The
    State moves this Court for an order supplementing the record. Johnson opposes the State's
    motion.
    The State seeks to add to the record two documents, an affidavit and an information,
    from a separate cause number involving Johnson—DC-20-252A. The documents detail the
    State's two charges against Johnson for Sexual Abuse of Children, based on Johnson's
    alleged distribution and possession of child pornography. The State ultimately dismissed
    these two charges as part ofJohnson's agreement to plead guilty to a single count of Sexual
    Intercourse Without Consent in the case now on appeal.
    The State argues that because the District Court referenced Johnson's dismissed child
    pomography charges during sentencing, those charging documents should be part of the
    record on appeal. Johnson counters that the District Court did not rely on those documents
    and that our review should be bound by the record in cause number DC-20-229C alone.
    This Court's review is based on records and information before the District Court at
    the time of its decision. In a direct appeal, this Court does not consider evidence outside the
    record made before the trial court.        See, e.g., State v. Azure, 
    2002 MT 22
    , ¶ 38,
    
    308 Mont. 201
    , 
    41 P.3d 899
     (citations omitted). Based on our review of the sentencing
    transcripts and orders, we conclude that the District Court did not rely on the DC-20-252A
    charging documents when it sentenced Johnson for Sexual Intercourse Without Consent in
    DC-20-229C.      The court stated in its Reasons for Sentence that it considered the
    Pre-Sentence Investigation Report, Psychosexual Risk Assessment, and all other information
    in the court file. All these items are available in the record that Johnson has presented to this
    Court. Although the State mentioned the dismissed charges during Johnson's sentencing
    hearing, the court did not. As it stands, the record is sufficient to enable the Court to rule
    upon the issues raised. M. R. App. P. 8(2). There is no indication that the record contains
    erroneous or accidental omissions. M. R. App. P. 8(6).
    IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the motion to supplement the record is
    DENIED. The State's exhibits are rejected and shall not be made part of the record.
    The Clerk is directed to provide a copy of this Order to counsel of record.
    DATED this I b day of January, 2023.
    2
    

Document Info

Docket Number: DA 21-0326

Filed Date: 1/10/2023

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 1/10/2023