People v. Daniels

244 N.W.2d 472, 69 Mich. App. 345, 1976 Mich. App. LEXIS 757
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 28, 1976
DocketDocket 24946, 24947
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 244 N.W.2d 472 (People v. Daniels) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Daniels, 244 N.W.2d 472, 69 Mich. App. 345, 1976 Mich. App. LEXIS 757 (Mich. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

Defendant, charged with two counts of unlawfully driving away an automobile contrary to MCLA 750.413; MSA 28.645, pled guilty to two counts of use of an automobile without authority but without the intent to steal in violation of MCLA 750.414; MSA 28.646, and was sentenced to a prison term of not less than 15 months to 2 years, the same to run consecutively to a sentence of 2 to 15 years which defendant was then serving in the state of Ohio for the offense of armed robbery.

On appeal defendant claims that the trial court erred in concluding that it had to sentence defendant to serve consecutive sentences and that the *347 trial court also erred with respect to various provisions of GCR 785.7 in the taking of the two pleas.

Defendant was charged with two auto thefts in February of 1974. The first of these occurred on February 19th and involved an auto owned by one Robert Peterson, and the second theft occurred on February 23rd and involved a car belonging to a Mrs. Sherwood.

After waiving examination in the district court, defendant was placed on a personal bond and on April 9, 1974, in the circuit court, his bond was forfeited and a bench warrant issued for his arrest.

Thereafter defendant was convicted of robbery armed in Ohio and was serving a 2 to 15 year sentence when he was returned to the state of Michigan under the provisions of the Interstate Agreement on Detainers, MCLA 780.601; MSA 4.147(1), to take care of the two outstanding warrants.

The record discloses that the trial judge, on the sentencing date of June 18, 1975, was under the impression that the provisions of the interstate compact with Ohio, MCLA 780.601; MSA 4.147(1), and the law of this state left him without discretion in the matter of sentencing and that defendant had to serve a sentence consecutive to that of the Ohio court. However, Article 111(e) of the statute provides in part "Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the imposition of a concurrent sentence if otherwise permitted by law”.

With respect to the status of the law in Michigan, the Supreme Court appears to have resolved this issue in the case of In re Carey, 372 Mich 378; 126 NW2d 727 (1964). In that case, the petitioner was sentenced to 3 to 14 years in prison on October 22, 1957, from recorder’s court and then sentenced to 3 to 15 years on November 19, 1957, *348 from Macomb County Circuit Court. He had previously been sentenced to 5 years in Federal prison on October 18, 1957, and after sentencing in the state court, was returned to Federal prison. He was returned to Michigan authorities on October 17, 1962, to serve his Michigan sentences. He petitioned the Court, on a writ of habeas corpus, claiming that his Michigan sentences should have run concurrently rather than consecutively with the Federal sentence.

The Court agreed with the petitioner. Previously, the Court had concluded that sentences should run consecutively if the Federal government imposes one sentence and the defendant is also sentenced pursuant to a state conviction. See In re Huber, 334 Mich 100; 53 NW2d 609 (1952). However, for separate sentences imposed in this state, sentences were to run concurrently unless otherwise provided by statute. See In re Bloom, 53 Mich 597; 19 NW 200 (1884), In re Allison, 322 Mich 491; 33 NW2d 917 (1948). The Court considered the two sets of rules and concluded:

"In the Bloom, Lamphere [61 Mich 105; 27 NW 882 (1886)], and Allison Cases, supra, the refusal of consecutive sentencing, in the absence of statutory authority, was bottomed upon the fact that so to allow would render the second sentence uncertain and indefinite and subject to 'undefined and uncertain contingencies.’ In re Bloom, supra. Contrariwise, we have concluded in the Huber and Illova [351 Mich 204; 88 NW2d 589 (1958)] Cases, that the essential part of a sentence is 'not the time when it begins to run, but the serving of the sentence as required by law.’ In re Huber, supra, 104. It was said further that 'When a defendant has violated both State and Federal laws he is liable to each sovereign.’ In re Illova, supra, 209.

"There seems little justification for this dual approach in the sentencing law, and the sooner we elimi *349 nate it the better. A defendant who is sentenced in a State court after receiving sentence in a Federal court is subject to the same 'undefined and uncertain contingencies’ about when State sentence begins, as he is in the case of 2 or more State sentences. The reason for the rule aptly applies in both types of cases. Therefore, we hold that where a defendant has been sentenced in Federal court, and is subsequently sentenced in a State court or courts, sentence may not be imposed to commence at the completion or expiration of Federal sentence, in the absence of statutory authority. Bloom, Lamphere and Allison, supra. To the extent that Huber and Illova, supra, express a contrary view, said cases are overruled.” In re Carey, at 380-381.

The fact the defendant in the case at bar was detained by the state of Ohio, rather than the Federal government, should not make any difference. Just as the Federal government and Michigan are separate sovereignties, Ohio and Michigan are also separate sovereignties. Thus, the rule, quite contrary to what the trial judge expressed, is that the sentences should run concurrently, unless otherwise authorized by law.

This mistake of the law is critical. However, it should be pointed out that the defendant may be sentenced to a consecutive sentence. MCLA 768.7b; MSA 28.1030(2), provides:

"Sec. 7b. When a person, who has been charged with a felony and pending the disposition of the charge, commits a subsequent offense which is a felony, upon conviction or acceptance of a guilty plea of the subsequent offense, the sentences imposed for conviction of the prior charged offense and any subsequent offense, may run consecutively.”

But this statute operates at the discretion of the trial court. In this case, the court determined that it was precluded from exercising its discretion. In *350 People v Mauch, 23 Mich App 723; 179 NW2d 184 (1970), the trial court erroneously concluded that a person who was convicted of a third felony must be sentenced to twice the maximum sentence under the crime for which the defendant was convicted. In that case, the defendant was convicted of escape in which the maximum 'sentence was 3 years; the trial court concluded that a 6-year maximum was mandatory. This Court, in remanding for resentencing, stated:

"Implicit in the language of § 11, we think, is a requirement that the court exercise its discretion in setting a maximum sentence, even if the maximum sentence ultimately set in any given case equals the maximum allowed by § 11, that is, twice the longest term prescribed for a first conviction of the current offense.

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

Related

People of Michigan v. Delmerey Deshawn Morris
Michigan Court of Appeals, 2018
People of Michigan v. Richard Steven Gutierrez
Michigan Court of Appeals, 2014
People v. Mapp
569 N.W.2d 523 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1997)
People v. Thomas
566 N.W.2d 13 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1997)
People v. Wybrecht
564 N.W.2d 903 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1997)
People v. Green
517 N.W.2d 782 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1994)
People v. Johnson
343 N.W.2d 226 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1983)
People v. Whalen
312 N.W.2d 638 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1981)
People v. Henry
309 N.W.2d 922 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1981)
Cross v. Department of Corrections
303 N.W.2d 218 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1981)
Williams v. State
280 N.W.2d 406 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1979)
Edmond v. Department of Corrections
259 N.W.2d 423 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
244 N.W.2d 472, 69 Mich. App. 345, 1976 Mich. App. LEXIS 757, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-daniels-michctapp-1976.