State v. Bretz Cline

Procedural entryThis page is a short order in State v. Bretz Cline. Read the opinion of the Court — 180 Mont. 307
Montana Supreme Court·Decided April 19, 1976·No. 13297·Published

Opinion

No. 13297

I N THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF M N A A OTN

197 6

THE STATE OF MONTANA,

p l a i n t i f f and A p p e l l a n t ,

-vs - L. R. BRETZ and MERREL J. CLINE,

Defendants and Respondents.

Appeal from: D i s t r i c t Court o f t h e T h i r d J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t , Honorable R o b e r t Boyd, Judge p r e s i d i n g .

Counsel o f Record:

For Appellant :

Hon. R o b e r t L. Woodahl, A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l , Helena, Montana A l b e r t W. M e l o l i n g a r g u e d , S p e c i a l A s s i s t a n t A t t o r n e y Genera 1, Helena, Montana James J. Masar, County A t t o r n e y , Deer Lodge, Montana

F o r Respondent :

Morrison and Hedman, W h i t e f i s h , Montana Frank Morrison a r g u e d , W h i t e f i s h , Montana D. R . Matthews a r g u e d , M i s s o u l a , Montana

Submitted: A p r i l 7 , 1976

Decided : APP 2 T: 1976 4FR 2 r:: 1998 Filed : Mr. J u s t i c e Wesley C a s t l e s d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion o f t h e C o u r t .

T h i s i s a n a p p e a l by t h e s t a t e of Montana from a n o r d e r

of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t , Powell County, d a t e d F e b r u a r y 1 3 , 1976,

wherein t h e Honorable R o b e r t J . Boyd g r a n t e d a d e f e n s e motion

t o t r a n s f e r t o Missoula County, c o u n t s V I t h r o u g h X i n c l u s i v e

of t h e amended i n f o r m a t i o n f i l e d i n Powell County October 23,

1975.

On August 27, 1975, t h e s t a t e o f Montana f i l e d a n i n -

f o r m a t i o n and a f f i d a v i t i n s u p p o r t t h e r e o f i n Powell County,

c h a r g i n g L. R. B r e t z and M e r r e l J . C l i n e i n a f i v e c o u n t i n f o r -

m a t i o n w i t h t h e f e l o n i e s of c o n s p i r a c y and s o l i c i t a t i o n a s

s p e c i f i e d i n s e c t i o n 94-4-102, R.C.M. 1947 and s e c t i o n 94-4-101,

R.C.M. 1947, r e s p e c t i v e l y . The a l l e g e d c r i m i n a l a c t s o c c u r r e d

i n J u l y 1975 i n t h e s t a t e p r i s o n where B r e t z and C l i n e w e r e

serving sentences f o r felony convictions.

A s a r e s u l t o f t h e i n f o r m a t i o n , t h e two p r i s o n e r s w e r e

t r a n s f e r r e d , by o r d e r of Warden C r i s t , t o t h e Missoula County

jail. While i n t h e Missoula County j a i l , B r e t z and C l i n e w e r e

a l l e g e d t o have committed c e r t a i n a c t s r e s u l t i n g i n t h e f i l i n g

of a n amended i n f o r m a t i o n i n Powell County, a d d i n g f i v e new

c o u n t s , V I t h r o u g h X: c o n s p i r a c y t o commit p e r j u r y , s o l i c i t a t i o n

t o commit p e r j u r y , tampering w i t h w i t n e s s e s , and f a b r i c a t i o n o f

physical evidence. Each o f t h e s e a c t s w a s a l l e g e d t o have been

done w i t h d i r e c t r e g a r d t o t h e t h e n pending f i v e c o u n t s p r e v i o u s l y

f i l e d i n Powell County. Each a l l e g e d c r i m i n a l a c t , however, w a s

d e s i g n a t e d a s e p a r a t e and new c r i m e o c c u r r i n g i n M i s s o u l a County.

Counts V I t h r o u g h X , by t h e amended i n f o r m a t i o n became

s u b j e c t t o d e f e n s e m o t i o n s f o r change o f venue from Powell t o

Missoula County. On F e b r u a r y 1 3 , 1976, Judge Boyd g r a n t e d t h e

m o t i o n s , o r d e r i n g venue changed t o Missoula County on Counts V I

t h r o u g h X of t h e amended i n f o r m a t i o n . S u b s e q u e n t l y , Judge Boyd was d i s q u a l i f i e d and Judge J a c k Green assumed j u r i s d i c t i o n o f

t h e o r i g i n a l i n f o r m a t i o n case s t i l l pending i n Powell County.

The s o l e i s s u e on t h i s a p p e a l i s whether t h e p r o p e r

p l a c e f o r venue o f c o u n t s V I t h r o u g h X o f t h e amended informa-

t i o n i s i n Powell County o r Missoula County.

I t i s t h e p o s i t i o n of t h e S t a t e i n i t s amended informa-

t i o n and s u p p o r t i n g a f f i d a v i t t h a t t h e a l l e g e d c r i m i n a l a c t s i n

Missoula County, c o m p r i s i n g c o u n t s V I t h r o u g h X , c o n s t i t u t e d a

c a l c u l a t e d a t t e m p t t o d e s t r o y t h e c r e d i b i l i t y of o n e J a c k LaMere,

a s t a t e witness expected t o t e s t i f y a s t o t h e a l l e g e d c r i m i n a l

a c t i v i t i e s i n Powell County s p e c i f i e d i n c o u n t s I t h r o u g h V .

For p u r p o s e s of b r e v i t y and c l a r i t y , we set f o r t h c o u n t No. I X

of t h e amended i n f o r m a t i o n a s i l l u s t r a t i v e o f t h e S t a t e ' s p o s i t i o n :

"For a f u r t h e r and s e p a r a t e c a u s e o f a c t i o n , b e i n g a d i f f e r e n t o f f e n s e of t h e same c l a s s of crimes and o f f e n s e s and c o n n e c t e d i n i t s commission w i t h a l l p r e c e d i n g c o u n t s h e r e o f , t h e s a i d d e f e n d a n t s , L. R. BRETZ and MERREL J . CLINE, t h e n and t h e r e b e i n g , t h e n and t h e r e w i l l f u l l y , purposely, knowlingly, wrongfully, and f e l o n i o u s l y , on o r a b o u t and between t h e d a t e s of August 25, 1975 and October 22, 1975, a t and i n t h e County o f M i s s o u l a , S t a t e of Montana, d i d commit t h e c r i m e of TAMPERING W I T H WITNESSES, a f e l o n y , a s s p e c i f i e d i n S e c t i o n 94-7-207, R.C.M. 1947, i n t h a t s a i d d e f e n d a n t s L. R. BRETZ and MERREL J . CLINE, d i d p u r p o s e l y , knowingly, w i l l f u l l y , w r o n g f u l l y , u n l a w f u l l y and f e l o n i o u s l y a t t e m p t t o i n d u c e and o t h e r w i s e c a u s e a w i t n e s s t o t e s t i f y and i n f o r m f a l s e l y and w i t h h o l d t e s t i m o n y and i n f o r m a t i o n w h i l e b e l i e v i n g t h a t o f f i c i a l p r o c e e d i n g s and i n - v e s t i g a t i o n s w e r e pending i n t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t of t h e T h i r d J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t o f t h e S t a t e o f Montana, i n and f o r t h e County o f P o w e l l , e n t i t l e d THE STATE O MONTANA, P l a i n t i f f , v s . F L. R. BRETZ and MERREL J . CLINE, Defendants * * *". (Emphasis s u p p l i e d . )

S e c t i o n 95-402, R.C.M. 1947, p r o v i d e s t h a t where a n o f f e n s e

i s committed p a r t l y i n one c o u n t y and p a r t l y i n a n o t h e r :

"Where two ( 2 ) o r more a c t s a r e r e q u i s i t e t o t h e commission of any o f f e n s e , t h e t r i a l may be i n any c o u n t y i n which any o f such a c t s o c c u r . " (Emphasis supplied) . The R e v i s e d Commission Comment i n i n t e r p r e t i n g t h i s p a r t i c u -

l a r s t a t u t e said:

"This provision allows t h e t r i a l t o t a k e place i n t h e most c o n v e n i e n t c o u n t y where a n e l e m e n t o f t h e o f f e n s e o c c u r r e d . * * * The o n l y e l e m e n t s o f t h e c r i m e which a r e o f i n t e r e s t a r e t h o s e a c t s c o n s t i - t u t i n g o r r e q u i s i t e t o t h e consummation o f t h e o f f e n s e ; t h e t r i a l o f t h e c a s e may b e h e l d i n a n y c o u n t y i n which s u c h a c t s o c c u r . "

The Commission comment c i t e s S t a t e v . C a s s i l l , 70 Mont.

433, 227 P . 49.

C o n s i d e r i n g a g a i n c o u n t No. I X , "Tampering w i t h W i t n e s s e s "

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