State Ex Rel. Caleb v. Beesley

949 P.2d 724, 326 Or. 83, 1997 Ore. LEXIS 589
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 28, 1997
DocketSC S43541 (Control), S43542
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 949 P.2d 724 (State Ex Rel. Caleb v. Beesley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. Caleb v. Beesley, 949 P.2d 724, 326 Or. 83, 1997 Ore. LEXIS 589 (Or. 1997).

Opinion

*85 VAN HOOMISSEN, J.

This is an original mandamus proceeding arising out of sentences imposed in the criminal cases of State v. Soloman (CC 95-2337CR) and State v. Pate (CC 95-1765CR). In each case, defendant, a circuit court judge, refused to impose the mandatory minimum sentences mandated by Ballot Measure 11 (1994) (Measure 11) and by ORS 137.700(2)(c) (1995). 1 Defendant ruled that Measure 11 is facially unconstitutional under several provisions of the Oregon Constitution. For the reasons that follow, we disagree. Accordingly, we direct the issuance of peremptory writs of mandamus requiring defendant to enter corrected judgments in Soloman and Pate that impose the minimum sentences mandated by law.

The historical facts pertinent to these proceedings are not in dispute. Relator, the District Attorney for Klamath County, represents the State of Oregon in Soloman and Pate. Soloman was convicted of attempted murder, ORS 163.115, assault in the first degree, ORS 163.185, and assault in the second degree, ORS 163.175(l)(b), based on acts that occurred in September 1995. Pate was convicted of manslaughter in the second degree, ORS 163.125, based on an act that occurred in July 1995. Because of the nature and date of her crimes, Soloman was susceptible to the mandatory minimum sentencing prescribed by Measure 11, as amended by Oregon Laws 1995, ch 421 (effective June 30, 1995), and by ORS 137.700(2)(c) (1995). Because of the nature and the dates of his crime, Pate was susceptible to the mandatory minimum sentencing prescribed by Measure 11, as amended by Oregon Laws 1995, ch 421.

In both cases, however, defendant ruled:

“I find that Ballot Measure 11 violates the Oregon Constitution in the following particulars:
*86 “1. [Article IV,] Section l(2)(d) states:
“ ‘An initiative petition shall include the full text of the proposed law or amendment to the Constitution. A proposed law or amendment to the Constitution shall embrace one subject only and matters properly connected therewith.’
“Ballot Measure 11 violates this provision in that it contains two subjects: (1) A major overhaul of Oregon’s Juvenile Code; and (2) mandatory minimum sentencing for adult offenders.
“2. Article [III], Section 1 states:
“ ‘The powers of the Government shall be divided into three seperate [sic] departments, the Legislative, the Executive, including the administrative, and the Judicial; and no person charged with official duties under one of these departments, shall exercise any of the functions of another, except as in this Constitution expressly provided.’
“Ballot Measure 11 violates this provision by depriving the Courts of their judicial sentencing power in a broad class of cases.
“3. Article [I], Section 15 states:
“ ‘Laws for the punishment of crime shall be founded on the principles of reformation, and not of vindictive justice.’
“Article [I], Section 16, provides in part:
“ ‘* * * Cruel and unusual punishments shall not be inflicted, but all penalties shall be proportioned to the offense. * * *’
“Ballot Measure 11 also violates these provisions.
“4. Sentencing power in the State of Oregon rests with the Courts. Ballot Measure 11 in reality transfers sentencing power to the District Attorney. If the defendant is convicted, the criminal charge chosen determines the sentence.”

In light of those rulings, defendant refused to impose the mandatory minimum sentences prescribed by ORS 137.700. Instead, defendant imposed only the presumptive sentences *87 prescribed for each crime by the state sentencing guidelines. In each case, relator filed a petition for an alternative writ of mandamus. Relator contends that defendant erred in refusing to impose any of the minimum sentences mandated by ORS 137.700. This court issued alternative writs, and the present proceedings ensued.

Defendant first argues that mandamus relief is not appropriate in these cases because relator has an adequate remedy by direct appeal with respect to his claims of error. This court recently answered that argument adversely to defendant’s position. State ex rel Huddleston v. Sawyer, 324 Or 597, 600-08, 932 P2d 1145 (1997). We exercise our discretion to proceed in mandamus.

“ONE-SUBJECT” LIMITATION

In analyzing a provision of the Oregon Constitution, we consider “[i]ts specific wording, the case law surrounding it, and the historical circumstances that led to its creation.” Priest v. Pearce, 314 Or 411, 415-16, 840 P2d 65 (1992). We first consider the contention that Measure 11 violates the one-subject provision of Article IV, section l(2)(d), of the Oregon Constitution.

Precise analysis of that claim requires this court to examine the statutory wording under which Soloman and Pate would have been sentenced. The first issue is whether this court reviews the constitutionality of Measure 11 under Article IV, section l(2)(d), requiring initiative measures to “embrace one subject only,” or under Article IV, section 20, requiring legislative acts to “embrace but one subject.”

Soloman and Pate essentially argued that the one-subject provision was violated, first by Measure ll’s enactment in 1994, and second by the legislature’s 1995 amendments to ORS 137.700. See Or Const, Art IV, § 22 (“No act shall ever be revised, or amended by mere reference to its title, but the act revised, or section amended shall be set forth, and published at full length.”). Thus, it could be argued that the pertinent enactment is the most recent, because that enactment contains all the wording about which Soloman *88 and Pate complain. However, that argument misstates Oregon law.

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Bluebook (online)
949 P.2d 724, 326 Or. 83, 1997 Ore. LEXIS 589, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-caleb-v-beesley-or-1997.