In re 1996 Nissan Sentra

32 P.3d 39, 201 Ariz. 114, 357 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 12, 2001 Ariz. App. LEXIS 143
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedSeptember 25, 2001
DocketNo. 2 CA-CY 00-0162
StatusPublished
Cited by47 cases

This text of 32 P.3d 39 (In re 1996 Nissan Sentra) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re 1996 Nissan Sentra, 32 P.3d 39, 201 Ariz. 114, 357 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 12, 2001 Ariz. App. LEXIS 143 (Ark. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

OPINION

FLOREZ, J.

¶ 1 Appellant State of Arizona challenges the trial court’s grant of appellee Teruko Simmons’s cross-motion for summary judgment in this civil in rem forfeiture action against Simmons’s 1996 Nissan Sentra. The state contends that the trial court erred in finding that 1) prior statements made by Simmons’s son, Dennis Day, which the state and Simmons had attached to their respective motions for summary judgment, were inadmissible hearsay; 2) the racketeering forfeiture statutes do not apply to this action; and 3) Simmons’s interest in the Nissan is exempt from forfeiture. The state also claims that the trial court erred in denying its motion for summary judgment.- We reverse.

Background

¶ 2 We review de novo the trial court’s grant of Simmons’s cross-motion for summary judgment, and “we view, all facts and reasonable inferences ... in the light most favorable to the party against whom [summary] judgment was entered.” Bothell v. Two Point Acres, Inc., 192 Ariz. 313, ¶ 2, 965 P.2d 47, ¶ 2 (App.1998). In a recorded interview with a prison investigator, Day stated that he had been having problems with some of the other inmates because they “thought [he] was some kind of a snitch,” and because of his multi-ethnic racial background. To repay an inmate, Leroy Perez, who had helped him resolve his conflicts with the other inmates and to “mak[e] money and things like that,” Day convinced Simmons to smuggle marijuana into the prison for him and Perez.1

¶3 It is undisputed that after Day had made arrangements for Simmons to pick up the marijuana, Simmons drove her Nissan to a hardware store parking lot, where an unknown couple gave her four small packets of marijuana. Less than two weeks later, Simmons concealed the packets in her brassiere and brought them into the prison where Day was incarcerated. During visiting hours, Simmons passed the packets to Day, who concealed them in his shoes. Prison officials discovered the packets shortly thereafter.

¶4 Simmons pled guilty to facilitation to promote prison contraband. Several months later, the state brought a civil in rem forfeiture action against Simmons’s Nissan pursuant to A.R.S. §§ 13-2301(D)(4), 13-2314(G), 13-3413, and 13-4301. The trial court granted Simmons’s cross-motion for summary judgment, reasoning that Simmons’s interest in the Nissan was exempt under A.R.S. § 13 — 4304(3) because “there was no personal financial gain to [Simmons] and ... the [117]*117amount of unlawful substance involved was well below the threshold amount.” This appeal by the state followed.

Statements by Coparticipant

¶5 The state contends that “the trial court committed error in holding that the statements made by ... Day [to the prison investigator] were inadmissible hearsay.” We review de novo the trial court’s legal conclusion that the state could not support its motion for summary judgment with Day’s statements. See Enterprise Leasing Co. of Phoenix v. Ehmke, 197 Ariz. 144, 3 P.3d 1064 (App.1999) (questions of law are reviewed de novo). Although it is generally true that a trial court should not consider hearsay in considering a motion for summary judgment, Jabczenski v. Southern Pacific Memorial Hospitals, Inc., 119 Ariz. 15, 579 P.2d 53 (App.1978), the trial court here erred in not considering Day’s statements.

¶ 6 In ruling on a party’s motion for summary judgment, the trial court should consider those facts that would be admissible in evidence. “Generally, the ‘facts’ which the trial court will consider as ‘admissible in evidence’ in ruling on a motion for summary judgment are those which are set forth in an affidavit or a deposition; an unsworn and unproven assertion in a memorandum is not such a fact.” Prairie State Bank v. IRS, 155 Ariz. 219, 221 n. 1A, 745 P.2d 966, 968 n. 1A (App.1987).

¶7 We conclude that the trial court erred in refusing to consider Day’s statements when ruling on the state’s motion for summary judgment. Simmons waived any objection to Day’s statements because she also attached the transcript of the prison investigator’s interview to her cross-motion for summary judgment. Additionally, Simmons waived her right to object to any deficiencies in the documents the state attached to its motion for summary judgment, which included the transcript, by failing to file a motion to strike. See Johnson v. Svidergol, 157 Ariz. 333, 757 P.2d 609 (App.1988). And finally, we note that Simmons chose not to address in her answering brief the state’s argument that Day’s statements were admissible. Such an omission can be considered a confession of error, see State ex rel. McDougall v. Superior Court, 174 Ariz. 450, 850 P.2d 688 (App.1993), and we deem it so here.

Application of the Racketeering Statutes

¶8 The state next contends that “the trial court committed error when it failed to find that [Simmons’s Nissan] is subject to forfeiture under the authority of the racketeering statutes.” We review de novo the trial court’s interpretations of § 13-2301, the statute defining “racketeering,” and § 13-2314(G), the racketeering forfeiture statute. See In re $3,636.24, U.S. Currency, 198 Ariz. 504, 11 P.3d 1043 (App.2000). “If the language of a statute is clear and unambiguous, this court must give it effect. In doing so, ‘we must read the statute as a whole and give meaningful operation to each of its provisions.’ ” Id. at ¶ 10, 11 P.3d 1043 (citation omitted), quoting Ruiz v. Hull, 191 Ariz. 441, ¶ 35, 957 P.2d 984, ¶ 35 (1998).

¶ 9 Any property used in connection with an act of racketeering is subject to forfeiture. § 13-2314(G). “ ‘Racketeering’ means any act ... that is committed for financial gain ... that would be punishable by imprisonment for more than one year, regardless of whether such act is charged or indicted, involving ... marijuana.” § 13-2301(D)(4) (emphasis added).2 Although Simmons pled guilty to facilitation of promoting prison contraband, a class six felony, the state had ample evidence to support the indictment against Simmons for promoting prison contraband. A.R.S. § 13-2505(A). Promoting prison contraband is a class two felony when the contraband involved is marijuana, § 13-2505(C), and as such, would be punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. See A.R.S. § 13-701(0(1).

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Bluebook (online)
32 P.3d 39, 201 Ariz. 114, 357 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 12, 2001 Ariz. App. LEXIS 143, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-1996-nissan-sentra-arizctapp-2001.