Fountain v. State

450 A.2d 385, 1982 Del. LEXIS 448
CourtSupreme Court of Delaware
DecidedAugust 31, 1982
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 450 A.2d 385 (Fountain v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fountain v. State, 450 A.2d 385, 1982 Del. LEXIS 448 (Del. 1982).

Opinion

HORSEY, Justice:

This is an appeal from Superior Court’s denial of a Motion for postconviction relief under its Criminal Rule 35(a).

The issue raised by appellant is whether retroactive application of our decisions in Evans v. State, Del.Supr., 430 A.2d 481 (1981) (“Evans II”) and Hunter v. State, Del.Supr., 430 A.2d 476 (1981) (“Hunter II”)1 increases his punishment, in violation of the Ex Post Facto Clause of the United States Constitution and the Due Process Clause of its Fourteenth Amendment. We hold that there is no constitutional violation and hereby affirm the Superior Court.

I

In December 1979, pursuant to an agreement with the State, appellant pleaded nolo contendere to Assault in the First Degree, 11 Del.C. § 613(3), and Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony, 11 Del.C. § 1447.

On February 15, 1980, appellant received consecutive terms of imprisonment for the Assault offense (12 years, 9 to be suspended) and the Weapon offense (5 years).

Appellant docketed an appeal to this Court in March 1980, alleging, inter alia, that the imposition of separate sentences for both the Assault offense and the Weapon offense violated the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment (No. 69, 1980).

In June 1980, this Court held in Hunter v. State, Del.Supr., 420 A.2d 119 (1980) (“Hunter I”) that Assault in the First Degree, 11 Del.C. § 613(1), and Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony, 11 Del.C. § 1447, constituted the “same offense” for double jeopardy purposes, applying Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299, 52 S.Ct. 180, 76 L.Ed. 306 (1932). Thus, while Hunter’s convictions of the two statutory offenses were affirmed, the separate punishments for each conviction were reversed and the case was remanded for the State to elect as to sentencing under either the underlying felony or the weapon offense, but not both.

In September 1980, while Appeal No. 69 was still pending, this Court issued its decision in Evans v. State, Del.Supr., 420 A.2d 1186 (1980) (“Evans I”). In Evans I, we extended the rule and rationale of Hunter I to consecutive sentences for convictions in one trial for both Manslaughter, 11 Del.C. § 632, and an accompanying Weapon offense under 11 Del.C. § 1447. In Evans I, as in Hunter I, the multiple convictions were affirmed, the consecutive sentences were stricken and the case was remanded for resentencing in accordance with Hunter I.

Thereafter, in or about September 1980, the State filed a Petition for writ of certio-rari to the United States Supreme Court seeking review of both Hunter I and Evans I. The State also applied to this Court for a stay of all resentencings involving application of Hunter I or Evans I, pending determination of its writ of certiorari.

On November 6, 1980, the Chief Justice of this Court, with the approval of the Associate Justices, and pursuant to Del. Const., Art. IV, § 13, entered an Administrative Order staying any resentence in any case in Superior Court, which would other[387]*387wise be governed by the Opinions of this Court in Hunter I and Evans I, until further order of the Chief Justice or of the Supreme Court.

In March 1981, the United States Supreme Court vacated the judgments in Hunter I and Evans I, remanding both cases to this Court in light of Albernaz v. United States, 450 U.S. 333, 101 S.Ct. 1137, 67 L.Ed.2d 275 (1981). Delaware v. Hunter, 450 U.S. 991, 101 S.Ct. 1689, 68 L.Ed.2d 190 (1981); Delaware v. Evans, 450 U.S. 991, 101 S.Ct. 1689, 68 L.Ed.2d 190 (1981).

On May 12, 1981, this Court ruled in Hunter v. State, Del.Supr., 430 A.2d 476 (1981) (“Hunter II”) and Evans v. State, Del.Supr., 430 A.2d 481 (1981) (“Evans II”) that, in light of Albernaz, the multiple consecutive sentences originally imposed in these cases were not violative of the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment. On the same day, this Court’s Administrative Stay Order, first entered November 6, 1980 and thereafter extended through successive Orders through March 24,1981, was rescinded by the Chief Justice.

By Order of June 18, 1981, this Court affirmed the judgment of Superior Court in Appeal No. 69. Therein, this Court stated, “Mppebant’s consecutive sentences do not violate legislative intent or his constitutional right against Double Jeopardy” under Hunter II.

In July 1981, appellant filed in Superior Court a Motion for postconviction relief under Rule 35(a) which the Superior Court denied on October 7, 1981. The instant appeal followed.

II

Appellant first argues that this Court’s affirmance of the imposition of sentences for both the Assault offense and the Weapon offense amounted to retroactive application of Hunter II and Evans II, thus constituting an increase in punishment in violation of the Ex Post Facto Clause.

The contention fails because “... the constitutional prohibition: ‘No state shall ... pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts,’ as its terms indicate, is directed against legislative action only, and does not reach erroneous or inconsistent decisions by the courts.” Frank v. Mangum, 237 U.S. 309, 344, 35 S.Ct. 582, 594, 59 L.Ed. 969 (1914); Calder v. Bull, 3 U.S. (3 Dall.) 386, 1 L.Ed. 648 (1798); State v. Dickerson, Del. Supr., 298 A.2d 761 (1972).

Appellant next contends that this Court’s affirmance of imposition of multiple punishments under Hunter II and Evans II constitutes an “Ex Post Facto-like” violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

This Court has recognized that “... indirectly, via the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, the spirit of the ex post facto guaranty, and the resultant ban against the retrospective increase of punishment for a crime, is made to apply as a prohibition against judicial action having such effect.” State v. Dickerson, supra, at 768. However, the due process guaranty which appellant relies on does not bar any retroactive increase in punishment but only an increase which deprives the offender of fair warning that his contemplated conduct would be punishable in a certain manner. Bouie v. City of Columbia,

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Moyer v. State
452 A.2d 948 (Supreme Court of Delaware, 1982)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
450 A.2d 385, 1982 Del. LEXIS 448, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fountain-v-state-del-1982.