People v. Ison

346 N.W.2d 894, 132 Mich. App. 61
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 7, 1984
DocketDocket 62066
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 346 N.W.2d 894 (People v. Ison) 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. Ison, 346 N.W.2d 894, 132 Mich. App. 61 (Mich. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

Defendant pled guilty to assault with intent to commit second-degree criminal sexual conduct, MCL 750.520g(2); MSA 28.788(7)(2), and was sentenced to five years of probation, the first six months of which were to be spent in the county jail. On two occasions, defendant was found *64 to have violated the terms of his probation but each time defendant was resentenced to probation under the original terms and conditions. Subsequently, defendant was charged with five counts of probation violation and was found guilty of three counts. Defendant was sentenced to imprisonment for 2-1/2 to 5 years, and he appeals as of right.

MCL 771.3(l)(b); MSA 28.1133(l)(b) requires that conditions of probation include a provision forbiding the probationer from leaving the state without the consent of the court. One of the counts of which defendant was convicted charged defendant with a violation of that condition. Defendant argues that such a condition violates the right to travel secured by US Const, Am XIV. However, that amendment recognizes that persons may be deprived of their liberty with due process of law. A criminal conviction constitutionally deprives the defendant of much of his liberty; convicts retain some constitutional rights, but those rights are subject to restrictions imposed by the nature of the regime to which they have been lawfully committed. Wolff v McDonnell, 418 US 539; 94 S Ct 2963; 41 L Ed 2d 935 (1974); Meachum v Fano, 427 US 215; 96 S Ct 2532; 49 L Ed 2d 451 (1976). A probationer retains only those rights which are consistent with his probationary status. People v Hardenbrook, 68 Mich App 640; 243 NW2d 705 (1976). A condition of probation restricting the probationer’s right to travel may' therefore be imposed without violation of the constitution.

Defendant also argues that the condition at issue was unconstitutionally vague. This argument is without merit because the meaning of the condition is clear and unambiguous; reasonable persons would not guess at its meaning or differ as to its application. See Lanzetta v New Jersey, 306 US 451, 453; 59 S Ct 618; 83 L Ed 888 (1939).

*65 Another count of which defendant was convicted was charged as follows:

"On or about July 17, 1981, this probationer aided in the concealment of two runaway juveniles from the Our Lady of Charity Juvenile Institution in Green Bay, Wisconsin, by allowing them to stay with him for several nights in and around Ontonagon County. The probationer was aware of the fact that the girls were runaways from a Juvenile Institution. This action would constitute a violation of MCL 722.152, aiding or abetting runaway juveniles, and would be a violation of Condition #1 of the probationer’s probation order which reads: That he shall not violate any criminal law of any state or of the United States, or any municipal or county ordinance.”

MCL 722.151; MSA 25.264(1) provides:

"No person shall knowingly and wilfully aid or abet a child under the age of 17 years to violate an order of a juvenile court or knowingly and wilfully conceal or harbor juvenile runaways who have taken flight from the custody of the court, their parents or legal guardian.”

MCL 722.152; MSA 25.264(2) merely establishes the penalty for violation of the preceding section.

Defendant argues that the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction of this count. One of the two juvenile runaways at issue, Clarissa Royston, testified that Tracy Bouhan and she encountered defendant in Ontonagon on July 17. According to Royston, defendant took them to a wedding reception and then to a shack behind his home. Royston testified that Bouhan remained at the shack but that she left and stayed with other friends.

Tracy Bouhan’s testimony generally corroborated that of Royston. According to Bouhan, she *66 spent the night of July 17 in the shack and then went on a camping trip with defendant and two other persons. Bouhan could not say how long the trip lasted but was sure that it lasted more than one day. Both Royston and Bouhan testified that defendant was aware that they were juvenile runaways.

The prosecution bears the burden of establishing a probation violation by a preponderance of the evidence; the rules of evidence other than those concerning privileges do not apply. GCR 1963, 791.4(c). Reading this standard together with the standard for sufficiency of the evidence to sustain a criminal conviction stated in People v Hampton, 407 Mich 354, 368; 285 NW2d 284 (1979), we conclude that evidence is sufficient to sustain a conviction of probation violation if, viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, it would enable a rational trier of fact to conclude that the essential elements of the charge were proven by a preponderance of the evidence.

The testimony that defendant took the two girls to a wedding reception is irreconcilably inconsistent with the notion that he was concealing them. No evidence was presented to suggest that the camping trip with Bouhan and two others involved anything which could conceivably be interpreted as concealment. Defendant’s association with Royston apparently ended shortly after the reception. Even considering the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, we conclude that a rational trier of fact could not have concluded that concealment was shown by a preponderance of the evidence.

The prosecution points out that MCL 722.151; MSA 25.264(1) also forbids knowingly and wilfully *67 harboring juvenile runaways. However, a defendant charged with probation violation is entitled to written notice of the charges against him and, probation may not be revoked for uncharged conduct. People v Hunter, 106 Mich App 821; 308 NW2d 694 (1981); People v Longmier, 114 Mich App 351; 319 NW2d 579 (1982); People v Banks, 116 Mich App 446; 323 NW2d 436 (1982); People v Graber, 128 Mich App 185; 339 NW2d 866 (1983). Because the charge here specified concealment, the prosecution cannot rely on another theory to sustain defendant’s conviction.

Moreover, an "aider and abettor” is one who encourages, counsels, or assists another in the commission of a crime with the intention of rendering such help and with knowledge that a criminal act is contemplated. See, for example, People v Spry, 74 Mich App 584, 594; 254 NW2d 782 (1977). "Harbor” in some contexts refers to the furnishing of food, shelter, or other aid clandestinely or with concealment but in other contexts refers to the furnishing of such aid with the intent to encourage further violations of the law. See, for example, United States v Grant, 55 F 414 (CCD Or, 1893); see also United States v Foy, 416 F2d 940 (CA 7, 1969). We infer that an essential of the crime of "aiding and abetting” or "harboring” a runaway juvenile is an intent to encourage, counsel, or assist the juvenile in evading lawful custody. Mere knowledge that a person aided is a juvenile runaway is insufficient; otherwise, the statute would make innocent acts of charity criminal.

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

Related

People of Michigan v. Keith Allen Huggins
Michigan Court of Appeals, 2023
LaPine v. Romanowski
E.D. Michigan, 2022
Kinard v. Olson
E.D. Michigan, 2021
People of Michigan v. Philip Charles Swift
Michigan Supreme Court, 2020
State of Iowa v. Toni Lynn Reese
Court of Appeals of Iowa, 2016
People of Michigan v. Idris Zuri Kumasi
Michigan Supreme Court, 2011
People v. Breeding
772 N.W.2d 810 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 2009)
State v. Davis
641 A.2d 370 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1994)
People v. Reynolds
489 N.W.2d 128 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1992)
Harris v. United States
612 A.2d 198 (District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 1992)
People v. Councell
486 N.W.2d 350 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1992)
American Samoa Government v. Falefatu
17 Am. Samoa 2d 114 (High Court of American Samoa, 1990)
Mellinger v. Idaho Department of Corrections
757 P.2d 1213 (Idaho Court of Appeals, 1988)
People v. Roth
397 N.W.2d 196 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1986)
People v. Branson
360 N.W.2d 614 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1984)
People v. Hall
359 N.W.2d 259 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1984)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
346 N.W.2d 894, 132 Mich. App. 61, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-ison-michctapp-1984.