State v. Pavey

May 5 2010
DA 09-0409
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
2010 MT 104STATE OF MONTANA,
Plaintiff and Appellee,
v.
BRUCE ALLEN PAVEY,
Defendant and Appellant.
APPEAL FROM: District Court of the Eighteenth Judicial District,
In and For the County of Gallatin, Cause Nos. DC 2008-196AX and
DC 2008-240BX
Honorable John C. Brown, Presiding Judge
COUNSEL OF RECORD:
For Appellant:
Joslyn Hunt, Chief Appellate Defender, Helena, Montana
Lisa B. Kauffman, Attorney at Law, Missoula, Montana
For Appellee:
Hon. Steve Bullock, Montana Attorney General, Jonathan M. Krauss,
Assistant Attorney General, Helena, Montana
Marty Lambert, Gallatin County Attorney, Todd Whipple, Eric N.
Kitzmiller, Deputy County Attorneys, Bozeman, Montana
Submitted on Briefs: March 17, 2010
Decided: May 5, 2010
Filed:
__________________________________________
Clerk
Justice James C. Nelson delivered the Opinion of the Court.
¶1 This consolidated appeal is from two criminal prosecutions in the Eighteenth
Judicial District Court, Gallatin County. Bruce Allen Pavey was convicted of criminal
possession of dangerous drugs and issuing a bad check (common scheme). We affirm.
ISSUES
¶2 There are two issues on appeal:
1. Did Pavey reserve his right to appeal the denial of his motion to dismiss on
speedy trial grounds?
2. Did the District Court err in denying Pavey’s request that he be given credit for
time served?
BACKGROUND
¶3 In October 2006, Pavey was sentenced to the Montana Department of Corrections
(DOC) for five years on an offense committed in Jefferson County. In May 2007, he was
sentenced to DOC for five years on an offense committed in Silver Bow County. This
sentence was to run concurrently with the Jefferson County sentence. In December 2007,
Pavey was granted conditional release and placed under the supervision of the Bozeman
probation and parole office. However, from February 14 to April 15, 2008, he absconded
from supervision. He was taken back into custody on April 15, 2008, at which time a
disciplinary hearing was held. Pavey was then placed at the Montana State Prison
(MSP), where he remained during the pendency of the charges in the present case.
¶4 On May 8, 2008, the State filed an information in District Court charging Pavey
with failing to register as a violent offender, a felony, in violation of § 46-23-507, MCA,
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committed in March and April 2008. This prosecution was numbered “DC-08-105C.”
On July 21, 2008, the State filed a second information charging Pavey with criminal
possession of dangerous drugs (methamphetamine), a felony, in violation of § 45-9-102,
MCA, committed in April 2008. This prosecution was numbered “DC-08-196AX.”
Meanwhile, on May 9, 2008, the State filed a complaint in Gallatin County Justice Court
charging Pavey with issuing a bad check, common scheme, a felony, in violation of
§ 45-6-316, MCA, committed in March, April, and May 2008. This case was transferred
to District Court on September 2, 2008, where it was numbered “DC-08-240BX.”
¶5 Pavey initially entered not-guilty pleas to all three charges, and the prosecutions
were consolidated for further proceedings. But on November 19, 2008, pursuant to a plea
agreement reached with the State, he changed his pleas to guilty in all three cases. A
sentencing hearing was set for December 31, 2008. On December 29, however, Pavey
filed a motion to withdraw his guilty pleas because his counsel had given him erroneous
legal advice regarding the possibility of his designation as a persistent felony offender.
The State filed a response stating that it did not oppose Pavey’s motion. Accordingly, the
District Court issued an order on February 8, 2009, permitting the withdrawal of Pavey’s
guilty pleas.
¶6 On March 12, 2009, the court scheduled jury trials for June 16 (DC-08-105C),
June 17 (DC-08-196AX), and June 18 (DC-08-240BX). Pavey then filed motions in all
three cases to dismiss for violation of his constitutional right to a speedy trial. He briefed
this claim under the four-factor balancing test set out in State v. Ariegwe, 2007 MT 204,
338 Mont. 442, 167 P.3d 815. The State filed its response, and Pavey filed a reply. The
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District Court held a hearing and subsequently denied Pavey’s motions. The court agreed
with the State’s argument, based on State v. Sanders, 163 Mont. 209, 516 P.2d 372(1973), that the speedy trial clock stopped when Pavey entered his guilty pleas and was
reset when Pavey was allowed to withdraw those pleas. Thus, with respect to each of the
three cases, the court determined as follows: first, the interval between accusation (when
the charge was filed) and the date Pavey entered his guilty plea (November 19, 2008) was
less than 200 days; and second, the interval between the withdrawal of his guilty plea
(February 8, 2009) and the scheduled trial date (June 16, 17, or 18) was likewise less than
200 days. As such, the court concluded that further speedy trial analysis was not
warranted.1 See Ariegwe, ¶ 62 (“If [the interval between accusation and trial is less than
200 days], then further analysis is unnecessary and the claim should be denied.”).
¶7 Pavey and the State ultimately reached another plea agreement; and, on June 2,
2009, he entered guilty pleas to criminal possession of dangerous drugs and issuing a bad
check (common scheme). The State, in turn, dismissed the failing-to-register charge. At
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We note that this resetting of the speedy trial clock and division of time intervals
was incorrect. Sanders is distinguishable in that it involved a retrial following appeal.
Still, it is necessary to clarify the statement in Ariegwe, ¶ 43, that “the interval between
accusation and trial runs . . . to the scheduled trial date or the date on which a plea of
guilty is entered, whichever date represents the date of disposition of the case.” It is
well-settled that a conviction does not occur until sentence is imposed. See State v.
Tomaskie, 2007 MT 103, ¶ 12, 337 Mont. 130, 157 P.3d 691; State v. Bonamarte, 2006
MT 291, ¶ 6, 334 Mont. 376, 147 P.3d 220. Furthermore, this Court has held that the
right to a speedy trial applies through sentencing. See State v. Mooney, 2006 MT 121,
¶ 15, 332 Mont. 249, 137 P.3d 532. Thus, a guilty plea does not represent “the date of
disposition of the case” if, as here, it is withdrawn before sentencing. In evaluating
Pavey’s motions, therefore, the court was required to consider the entire period from
accusation to the scheduled trial date and to attribute the delay from Pavey’s November
19, 2008 guilty pleas to the February 8, 2009 withdrawal of those pleas to the appropriate
party (see Ariegwe, ¶¶ 64-66).
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that same hearing, the District Court sentenced Pavey to MSP for five years, none
suspended, on the drug possession offense and to MSP for ten years, with five years
suspended, on the bad check offense. These sentences are to run concurrently with each
other and with all other sentences Pavey is currently serving. Pavey now appeals.
DISCUSSION
¶8 Issue 1. Did Pavey reserve his right to appeal the denial of his motion to dismiss
on speedy trial grounds?
¶9 Pavey argues that the District Court erred in denying his motions to dismiss for
violation of his right to a speedy trial. As a threshold matter, however, we agree with the
State that Pavey did not reserve this issue for appeal.
¶10 At the second change-of-plea hearing, held June 2, 2009, the District Court (at
defense counsel’s request) used the Defendant’s Acknowledgement and Waiver of Rights
by Plea of Guilty signed by Pavey and filed November 19, 2008, in conjunction with his
prior change of plea. Among other things, this document states (with emphasis added):
3. I understand by pleading guilty I give up the following:
a. The presumption of innocence
b. The right to remain silent
c. The right to a jury trial
d. The right to a speedy and public trial
e. The right to have the State prove each element of the
offense(s) beyond a reasonable doubt.
f. The right to summon witnesses on your behalf;
g. The right to cross-examine the State’s witnesses.
Pavey initialed just to the left of the “3.”; and during the colloquy with the District Court,
he verbally affirmed that he recalled the Acknowledgement and Waiver document from
his prior change of plea. In addition, the court asked Pavey whether he understood that
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by pleading guilty, he would be giving up various rights, including the right to a speedy
trial, and Pavey stated that he understood this. The court then found that Pavey “has
knowingly and voluntarily waived his rights” and “has knowingly and voluntarily entered
pleas of guilty.” Pavey does not challenge either of these findings.
¶11 We have said that “a defendant waives the right to appeal all nonjurisdictional
defects upon voluntarily and knowingly entering a guilty plea, including claims of
constitutional violations which may have occurred prior to the plea.” State v. Violette,
2009 MT 19, ¶ 16, 349 Mont. 81, 201 P.3d 804. Consequently, after the plea, the
defendant may attack only the voluntary and intelligent character of the plea, any
jurisdictional defects, and any specified adverse pretrial rulings he has reserved the right
to appeal. See Violette, ¶ 16. In this regard, § 46-12-204(3), MCA, provides that “[w]ith
the approval of the court and the consent of the prosecutor, a defendant may enter a plea
of guilty or nolo contendere, reserving the right, on appeal from the judgment, to review
the adverse determination of any specified pretrial motion” (emphasis added). The
alleged violation of the right to a speedy trial is a nonjurisdictional-defect claim. State v.
Collier, 277 Mont. 46, 53, 919 P.2d 376, 381 (1996). As such, the right to obtain review
of an adverse determination on a speedy trial motion must be reserved.
¶12 Pavey argues that the “thrust” of § 46-12-204(3), MCA, is that a defendant should
not be able to appeal constitutional claims that he expressly “waived” per a plea of guilty.
The language of the statute, however, clearly indicates that a claim must be specifically
reserved in order to be appealable, not that a claim is automatically appealable unless it is
expressly waived. Moreover, far from reserving his right to appeal the denial of his
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speedy trial motions, Pavey specifically waived that right in writing (in the Defendant’s
Acknowledgement and Waiver of Rights by Plea of Guilty) and verbally (during the
colloquy with the District Court at the second change-of-plea hearing).
¶13 We therefore hold that Pavey did not reserve his right to appeal the denial of his
speedy trial motions under § 46-12-204(3), MCA.
¶14 Issue 2. Did the District Court err in denying Pavey’s request that he be given
credit for time served?
¶15 Pavey requested at the sentencing hearing that he be given credit for the year he
served in prison during the pendency of the charges. In this regard, § 46-18-403(1),
MCA, states that “[a] person incarcerated on a bailable offense against whom a judgment
of imprisonment is rendered must be allowed credit for each day of incarceration prior to
or after conviction, except that the time allowed as a credit may not exceed the term of
the prison sentence rendered.” The prosecutor objected on the ground that Pavey had
been incarcerated under the prior Jefferson County and Silver Bow County convictions,
not the new charges. The District Court denied Pavey’s request, and Pavey now
challenges the court’s decision on appeal, noting that criminal possession of dangerous
drugs and issuing a bad check are both “bailable” offenses. See Mont. Const. art. II, § 21;
§ 46-9-102, MCA. In addressing this issue, he and the State both discuss State v. Kime,
2002 MT 38, 308 Mont. 341, 43 P.3d 290, and State v. Erickson (Erickson II), 2008 MT
50, 341 Mont. 426, 177 P.3d 1043. In addition, State v. Erickson (Erickson I), 2005 MT
276, 329 Mont. 192, 124 P.3d 119, and State v. Price, 2002 MT 150, 310 Mont. 320, 50
P.3d 530 (which we discussed in Erickson II) are also relevant here.
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¶16 In Price, the defendant (Price) was convicted of felony DUI plus several
misdemeanor offenses. On the DUI, the court sentenced him to DOC for 12 months,
followed by an additional 4 years of probation; and on the misdemeanors, the court
sentenced him to a total of 12 days in jail. The sentences were to run consecutively.
Thus, because Price had served 18 days in jail awaiting trial, the court deemed the 12-day
misdemeanor jail sentences as served and then credited Price’s DUI sentence with the
remaining 6 days of time served. See Price, ¶¶ 1, 22. On appeal, Price argued that the
court should have granted him full credit for time served as to each sentence imposed;
hence, he would receive an 18-day credit as to each misdemeanor jail sentence and an
18-day credit as to his DUI sentence. Price, ¶ 23. We disagreed and held that
§ 46-18-403(1), MCA, entitles defendants to credit for presentence incarceration “only
once against the aggregate of all terms imposed when multiple sentences are imposed
consecutively.” Price, ¶ 28. In reaching this conclusion, we quoted with approval the
following passage from State v. Tauiliili, 29 P.3d 914 (Haw. 2001):
Statutes giving credit for presentence confinement were designed to ensure
equal treatment of all defendants whether or not they are incarcerated prior
to conviction. Granting presentence credit, therefore, seeks to place an
in-custody criminal defendant who cannot afford to post bail in the same
position as his counterpart with bail money.
Once credit has been granted, no additional purpose is served by
granting a second or “double credit” against a later consecutive sentence.
Courts in other jurisdictions having similar statutes agree that a defendant
who receives consecutive sentences is entitled to a presentence credit only
once against the aggregate of the consecutive terms, while a defendant
sentenced to concurrent terms in effect receives credit against each
sentence.
Id. at 918 (citations omitted); see Price, ¶ 27. The Hawai‘i court goes on to state that
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when concurrent sentences are imposed, presentence credit is applied once.
The credit applied once, in effect, is applied against each concurrent
sentence. This is done because the longest term of the concurrent sentences
determines the total length of the imprisonment. However, when
consecutive sentences are imposed, credit for presentence imprisonment is
properly granted against only the aggregate of the consecutive sentence
terms.
Tauiliili, 29 P.3d at 918.
¶17 Following this reasoning, Pavey suggests that he should have received credit for
time served during the period between accusation and sentencing in DC-08-196AX and
DC-08-240BX because the District Court ultimately ordered the sentences he received in
those cases to run concurrently with the sentences he is serving for the Jefferson County
and Silver Bow County convictions. Under this theory, because all of the sentences are
concurrent, the time Pavey served before sentencing in the present case should apply to
his Jefferson County sentence, his Silver Bow County sentence, his drug possession
sentence, and his bad check sentence. We do not agree, however, that this approach is
consistent with the purpose and intent of § 46-18-403(1), MCA.
¶18 In Kime, the defendant (Kime) was arrested and jailed on November 26, 2000, on
charges of felony theft, DUI, and driving while his license was suspended. Kime did not
post bail and, therefore, remained incarcerated. At the time of his arrest, Kime had been
participating in a supervised release program as part of a prior sentence for a felony
assault conviction. On December 5, 2000, DOC removed Kime from the supervised
release program, and he was transferred to MSP to serve the remainder of his felony
assault sentence. Kime ultimately pleaded guilty to the new charges and, at sentencing,
requested credit for the time he had served between his November 26 arrest and the date
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of sentencing (April 2, 2001). The district court, however, credited Kime’s sentence with
just the days he had served between his November 26 arrest and being transferred to MSP
on December 5. The court reasoned that as of December 5, Kime was incarcerated due to
his prior felony conviction rather than the offenses for which the court was now imposing
sentence. See Kime, ¶¶ 3-5, 8.
¶19 On appeal, Kime argued that because the three offenses with which he had been
charged were all bailable offenses, his sentences on those offenses should have been
credited with the entire time he was incarcerated (i.e., between his November 26 arrest
and the April 2 sentencing hearing), even though his incarceration during a portion of that
time was the result of his prior felony conviction. Kime, ¶ 9. We observed, however, that
the general purpose of § 46-18-403(1), MCA, is to eliminate the disparity of treatment
between indigent and nonindigent defendants; in other words, credit for time served is
given so as not to penalize indigent defendants who are unable to post bail and must
remain in custody until they are sentenced, when nonindigent defendants may secure
their release and remain free during that same period. Kime, ¶ 15. We further noted that
this purpose “is not served by crediting a defendant’s sentence for time served where the
defendant would not have been released from custody had he or she been able to post bail
in any event as a result of being held on a sentence related to an earlier offense.” Kime,
¶ 15. Thus, we concluded that under § 46-18-403(1), MCA, “a defendant’s sentence may
be credited with the time he or she was incarcerated only if that incarceration was directly
related to the offense for which the sentence is imposed.” Kime, ¶ 16. And because
Kime had been incarcerated from December 5, 2000, to April 2, 2001, based on his prior
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felony conviction, not the new charges, we held that the district court correctly refused to
credit his new sentence with the time served between those dates. Kime, ¶ 16.
¶20 The situation here is slightly different in that DOC incarcerated Pavey before he
was charged with the new offenses. Pavey thus opines that while his initial incarceration
was due to his violating the terms of his conditional release, his continued incarceration
was “directly related” to the subsequent filing of the new charges and only “incidentally
related” to the prior convictions. Pavey claims that “but for” the new charges, he would
have been transferred to a less restrictive environment such as prerelease, DOC’s
Intensive Supervision Program, or a treatment center.
¶21 There are several problems with this argument. First, Pavey points to no evidence
in the record establishing that DOC would have released him from incarceration but for
the new charges. In fact, he was returned to MSP in the first place because he absconded
from supervision while on conditional release under the Jefferson County and Silver Bow
County convictions; and the December 12, 2008 presentence investigation report filed by
his probation and parole officer refers to Pavey’s time on community supervision as “a
complete failure” and states that he “is a danger to the community in which he lives and
to the Officers that supervise him.” All of this suggests that with or without the filing of
the new charges, Pavey would have remained incarcerated under the prior convictions.
Second, even if, as Pavey suggests, DOC kept him incarcerated only because the State
had filed the new charges, this incarceration was still directly related to his prior
convictions in the sense that DOC must have determined, in light of the new charges, that
Pavey should serve his sentences on the prior convictions at MSP rather than on
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conditional release. Lastly, assuming that DOC was prepared, at some point during the
pendency of the new charges, to grant Pavey conditional release from incarceration, the
question then becomes whether at that point he still would have remained incarcerated
due to an inability to post the bail set by the District Court on the new charges. Pavey
provides no analysis of this question.
¶22 In sum, the record reflects that Pavey’s continued incarceration was due at least in
part, if not entirely, to his prior convictions. In other words, it appears that during the
time period in question, he would have been incarcerated based on those convictions,
regardless of the filing of the new charges and regardless of his ability to post bail on the
new charges. For these reasons, the general purpose of § 46-18-403(1), MCA, to
eliminate the disparity of treatment between indigent and nonindigent defendants, Kime,
¶ 15, is not implicated here and would not be served by crediting Pavey’s new sentences
for time served prior to sentencing.
¶23 Erickson I and Erickson II do not support Pavey’s contrary arguments. In those
cases, the defendant (Erickson) was arrested and jailed on November 1, 2001, on the
charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs. He remained incarcerated until July
25, 2002, when he posted a $5,000 commercial surety bond and was released. But
Erickson was again arrested and jailed on September 19, 2002, this time on the charge of
operation of an unlawful clandestine laboratory. He remained incarcerated and ultimately
pleaded guilty to both charges. The court then sentenced him to five years at MSP, all
suspended, on the drug possession charge and to ten years at MSP, with five years
suspended, on the clandestine lab charge. These sentences were to run concurrently. In
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addition, the court credited Erickson’s drug possession sentence with the time he served
from his November 1, 2001 arrest on that charge to his July 25, 2002 release on bail, and
credited his clandestine lab sentence with the time served from his September 19, 2002
re-arrest to the December 19, 2003 sentencing hearing. See Erickson I, ¶¶ 5-10.
¶24 On appeal, Erickson argued that the time served from his September 19, 2002
re-arrest to the December 19, 2003 hearing should have been credited to both sentences,
not just the clandestine lab sentence, because the bond he had posted on the drug
possession charge was revoked on September 18, 2002, and he was in jail awaiting trial
on both charges. Erickson I, ¶ 17. We agreed with this legal theory, observing that if his
$5,000 bond was in fact revoked by his bondsman and he was surrendered to the sheriff,
he then was incarcerated awaiting trial on both charges. “His incarceration was, in such
instance, directly related to the [drug possession charge], and § 46-18-403(1), MCA,
would require that he receive credit for the time between his arrest and when judgment
was entered on that charge.” Erickson I, ¶ 24. On the other hand, if his bond was never
revoked, then he was not incarcerated on the drug possession charge after his release on
July 25, 2002, and he thus was not entitled to receive credit against the drug possession
sentence for time served after his re-arrest on September 19, 2002. Erickson I, ¶ 25. We
remanded for a determination of whether Erickson’s bond was in fact revoked in the drug
possession case, Erickson I, ¶ 26, and the court ultimately determined on remand that the
bond had not been formally revoked, see Erickson II, ¶ 22. We therefore affirmed the
court’s decision not to credit Erickson’s drug possession sentence with the time served
between his re-arrest and the sentencing hearing, noting that this period of incarceration
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was directly related to the clandestine lab charge and was only incidentally related to the
drug possession charge. Erickson II, ¶ 23.
¶25 Our discussion in Erickson I, ¶¶ 22-24, supports the proposition that a period of
presentence incarceration may simultaneously apply to two separate, pending, bailable
offenses, entitling the defendant, upon conviction of those offenses, to credit for time
served against both sentences (if they are to run concurrently, see Price, ¶¶ 27-28). But
this principle is of no aid to Pavey here. While the drug possession and bad check
offenses with which he was charged were bailable offenses, the record reflects that his
presentence incarceration was attributable to his prior Jefferson County and Silver Bow
County convictions, which by definition were not “bailable offenses” under
§ 46-18-403(1), MCA. See § 46-9-102(1), MCA. As we said in Kime, ¶ 15, the purpose
of § 46-18-403(1), MCA, is not served by crediting a defendant’s sentence for time
served where the defendant would not have been released from custody had he been able
to post bail in any event as a result of being held on a sentence related to an earlier
offense.
¶26 We accordingly conclude that the District Court did not err in denying Pavey’s
request that his sentences on the present offenses be credited with the time he served
prior to sentencing.
CONCLUSION
¶27 Pavey failed to reserve his right to appeal the denial of his motion to dismiss on
speedy trial grounds, and the District Court did not err in refusing to credit Pavey’s
sentences on the present convictions with the time he served prior to sentencing.
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¶28 Affirmed.
/S/ JAMES C. NELSON
We Concur:
/S/ MIKE McGRATH
/S/ W. WILLIAM LEAPHART
/S/ JIM RICE
/S/ BRIAN MORRIS
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