Kuhn v. Smith

739 P.2d 1341, 154 Ariz. 24, 1987 Ariz. App. LEXIS 467
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedJune 16, 1987
DocketNo. 2 CA-CV 87-0024
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 739 P.2d 1341 (Kuhn v. Smith) 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
Kuhn v. Smith, 739 P.2d 1341, 154 Ariz. 24, 1987 Ariz. App. LEXIS 467 (Ark. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

HATHAWAY, Chief Judge.

On May 9, 1984, appellee was arrested and cited for violations of A.R.S. §§ 28-692(A) (driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor), 28-692(B) (driving with a blood alcohol content of .10% or higher) and Phoenix City Code, § 36-69 (squealing tires). All charges were dismissed without prejudice on April 18, 1985. The City of Phoenix refiled the A.R.S. § 28-692 charges on April 25, 1985, alleging that appellee had previously been convicted of A.R.S. § 28-692(A).

Appellee moved to dismiss, alleging that the court lacked jurisdiction because the complaints were improperly filed. Upon denial of the motion, appellee filed a complaint for special action in the Maricopa County Superior Court. Appellee contended that the magistrate who issued the complaints did not comply with Rule 2.4, Rules of Criminal Procedure, 17 A.R.S., in that he did not have reasonable cause to believe that the offenses had been committed and that appellee had committed them. The superior court agreed and held that “the magistrate did not have jurisdiction to issue the complaint, and the Plaintiff was thereby prejudiced.” The superior court’s dismissal of the complaint is the subject of this appeal.

Appellants argue that the dismissal was erroneous because (1) Rule 2.4 was complied with and, (2) even if Rule 2.4 was not complied with, there was no showing of consequent prejudice to the appellee. We affirm.

Rule 2.4 provides that:

The magistrate before whom a complaint ... is filed, shall subpoena for examination such witnesses as he deems necessary, and such additional witnesses as may be requested by the prosecutor. If he determines from the complaint, any [26]*26affidavits filed, and any testimony taken, that there is reasonable cause to believe an offense has been committed and the defendant committed it, the magistrate shall proceed under Rule 3.1; if not, he shall dismiss the complaint.

The purpose of Rule 2.4 is to ascertain whether probable cause exists to believe that the accused committed a public offense. Flagler v. Derickson, 134 Ariz. 229, 655 P.2d 349 (1982).

Robert J. Etzkorn, Assistant City Prosecutor, swore to the complaints at issue upon information and belief.1 At the motion to dismiss proceedings, Mr. Etzkorn testified that, although he had signed both counts of the complaint, he did not specifically remember signing or swearing to the complaint.2 He also testified that he had a habit of reading the police reports before swearing to a complaint. The magistrate who issued the refiled complaints testified that he did not remember the events surrounding the swearing out of the complaints and that he had no habit regarding refiled complaints. He generally looks at the date of the violation. Sometimes he asks the prosecutor why the case is being refiled.

Appellants allege Rule 2.4 was complied with because a complaint may be sworn to upon information and belief, and does not necessarily have to be verified by a person with actual knowledge. This point of law is well settled in Arizona. See State v. Currier, 86 Ariz. 394, 347 P.2d 29 (1959). However, when a complaint is made upon information and belief, “a duty devolves upon the magistrate to inquire as to the sources of the complainant’s information and the grounds of his belief____ [The magistrate] should not accept without question the complainant’s mere conclusion that the person whose arrest is sought has committed a crime.” Erdman v. Superior Court, 102 Ariz. 524, 526-27, 433 P.2d 972, 974-75 (1967). The question thus becomes one of whether the magistrate fulfilled his duty to inquire beyond Mr. Etzkorn’s swearing upon information and belief.

Although, as a reviewing court, we prefer that proof of the magistrate’s compliance with Rule 2.4’s due process requirements be apparent on the face of the record, such documentation is unfortunately not mandatory. See State v. Weigel, 228 Kan. 194, 612 P.2d 636 (1980); State v. Knox, 4 Kan.App.2d 87, 603 P.2d 199 (1979); cf. Guey v. State, 20 Ariz. 363, 181 P. 175 (1919) (no requirement that an information specifically allege that a preliminary examination was held or that criminal defendant waived such examination); but cf. People v. Sumstine, 36 Cal.3d 909, 206 Cal.Rptr. 707, 687 P.2d 904 (1984) (record must show on its face that a defendant was made aware of and waived certain constitutional rights in entering his or her guilty plea). Absent evidence to the contrary, we assume that the magistrate performed his legal duty. U.S. v. Weldon, 422 F.2d 800 (9th Cir.1969), cert den. 398 U.S. 941, 90 S.Ct. 1855, 26 L.Ed.2d 275 (1970); State v. Lubetkin, 78 Ariz. 91, 276 P.2d 520 (1954).

Appellants point out that no transcript of the Phoenix City Court proceedings on the motion to dismiss were provided to the superior court judge in the special action proceedings. Appellants contend [citing State v. Superior Court, 2 Ariz. App. 466, 409 P.2d 750 (1966) ] that it was an abuse of discretion for the superior court judge to make her findings in the absence of such a transcript; rather, appel[27]*27lants argue, she should have presumed that the lower court acted properly. We do not agree. The superior court judge did have all the necessary documents before her in addition to the attorneys’ sworn statements outlining what transpired at the city court hearing on the motion to dismiss. The relevant facts are not in dispute. The Buies of Procedure for Special Actions permit the court to order either party to file any part of the record the court deems necessary. Buie 4(d), 17A A.B.S. We see no purpose in requiring parties to bear the cost of producing a hearing transcript for review upon special action when the pertinent facts are not disputed and when no one argues that the testimony below would support the court’s actions.

In addition to the above discussed evidence, the superior court had before it the parties’ stipulation as to what two other Phoenix City Court judges do when presented with a complaint filed pursuant to Buie 2.4. One:

1. Swears in the complaintant. [sic]
2. Examines the face of the complaint.
3. Asks the complaintant [sic] for a statement of facts in support of the complaint.
4.

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Bluebook (online)
739 P.2d 1341, 154 Ariz. 24, 1987 Ariz. App. LEXIS 467, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kuhn-v-smith-arizctapp-1987.