State v. Behl

573 N.W.2d 711, 1998 Minn. App. LEXIS 43, 1998 WL 7439
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedJanuary 13, 1998
DocketC0-97-1903
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 573 N.W.2d 711 (State v. Behl) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Behl, 573 N.W.2d 711, 1998 Minn. App. LEXIS 43, 1998 WL 7439 (Mich. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

OPINION

KLAPHAKE, Judge.

Appellant Donn Harvey Behl II was convicted of second-degree manslaughter under Minn.Stat. § 609.205(1) (1994). He argues that the trial court erred in refusing to hear mitigating evidence at his resentencing hear *713 ing and in sentencing him to an upward durational departure. We affirm.

FACTS

The facts of this case are set forth in Behl’s previous appeals, State v. Behl, 547 N.W.2d 382 (Minn.App.1996) (Behl I) and State v. Behl, 564 N.W.2d 560 (Minn.1997) (Behl II). In Behl II, the supreme court affirmed the district court’s jurisdiction over the murder and' manslaughter charges against Behl, a juvenile at the time of the offense, but held that since the charge of possession of a shotgun was not part of that conduct, the district court had no jurisdiction in that matter. Id. at 569. The court therefore reversed the conviction for possession of a shotgun and remanded for resentencing based upon zero criminal history points. The court specifically noted that the trial court

can consider all the circumstances, including the fact that the defendant utilized a short-barrelled shotgun in the killing and any other factors that would support either an upward or downward departure from the sentencing guidelines.

Id. (footnote omitted).

On July 18,1997, Behl appeared before the trial court for resentencing. The court asked for additional testimony concerning the effect of carrying a short-barrelled shotgun, but barred new testimony on any other matters, although counsel for Behl made an offer of proof. Both counsel were allowed to argue regarding the sentence. After argument, the court stated its intent to once again depart upward, and imposed a sentence of 72 months, a 50 percent upward durational departure. The court based its departure on the following grounds: (1) the victim was killed while in his zone of privacy; (2) Behl used an illegal weapon in committing this offense; (3) Behl stole , the victim’s truck in order to flee; and (4) Behl attempted to blame the victim’s brother for the shooting. The court specifically found that the facts of the case were more serious than those of a typical second-degree manslaughter. In this appeal, Behl argues that the trial court erred in failing to accept new evidence of mitigating factors and in departing upwardly.

ISSUES

I. Did the trial court abuse its discretion in refusing to consider new evidence relating to Behl’s post-offense behavior?

II. Did the trial court abuse its discretion in sentencing Behl to 72 months in prison, an upward durational departure of 50 percent?

ANALYSIS

I.

Behl argues that the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to hear further evidence relating to mitigating factors at his resentencing. Specifically, he sought to introduce evidence concerning, his progress since incarceration, new psychological evidence, new evidence from the sentencing guidelines and commission reports, and a civil case involving restitution. At oral argument, he acknowledged that none of the evidence in the offer of proof is offense-related, but rather concerns his post-offense conduct. However, none of these matters are relevant to a decision for durational departure.

In State v. Herrmann, 479 N.W.2d 724, 728-29 (Minn.App.1992), review denied (Minn. Mar. 19,1992), this court held that as to duration, a sentencing court must “analyze the act as compared with other acts constituting the same offense.” A court must not focus on a defendant’s amenability to treatment or probation, or speculate about a defendant’s future conduct or background. Likewise, in State v. Chaklos, 528 N.W.2d 225 (Minn.1995), the supreme court stated:

As a general rule, the offender-related factor of particular unamenability to treatment in a probationary setting may be used to justify a dispositional departure in the form of execution of a presumptive-stayed sentence but may not be used to support an upward durational departure. On the other hand, offense-related aggravating factors may be used tosupport not only such a dispositional departure but, alternatively, an upward durational departure.

Id. at 228 (citations omitted) (emphasis in original).

*714 We therefore conclude that the trial court properly refused to accept further evidence that had no bearing on the basis for dura-tional departure.

II.

Behl argues that the trial court abused its discretion in departing upwardly. Behl was originally sentenced to 72 months, an upward departure of 25 percent from the presumptive sentence of 58 months, based upon one criminal history point. After this conviction was vacated, he was resentenced to 72 months, an upward departure of 50 percent from the presumptive sentence of 48 months, based upon zero criminal history points.

In the presence of aggravating or mitigating circumstances, a trial court has broad discretion to depart from the presumptive sentence under the guidelines. State v. Best, 449 N.W.2d 426, 427 (Minn.1989). Absent clear abuse, the decision to depart rests within the trial court’s discretion. State v. Givens, 544 N.W.2d 774, 776 (Minn.1996) (citing State v. Garcia, 302 N.W.2d 643, 647 (Minn.1981)). The reviewing court will overturn the decision of the trial court upon reaching a “collegial conclusion” that a sanction is disproportional to the severity of the crime. State v. Schantzen, 308 N.W.2d 484, 487 (Minn.1981).

The rule in Minnesota is that the trial court must provide written reasons when departing from the presumptive sentence. Minn. Sent. Guidelines II.D; Williams v. State, 361 N.W.2d 840, 844 (Minn.1985). In order to depart, the court must find that the conduct involved was more or less serious than that typically involved in the commission of that crime. State v. Ford, 539 N.W.2d 214, 229-30 (Minn.1995), cert. denied, 517 U.S. 1125, 116 S.Ct. 1362, 134 L.Ed.2d 529 (1996).

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Bluebook (online)
573 N.W.2d 711, 1998 Minn. App. LEXIS 43, 1998 WL 7439, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-behl-minnctapp-1998.