State v. Guillen

2001 NMCA 079, 32 P.3d 812, 130 N.M. 803
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 10, 2001
Docket21,831
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 2001 NMCA 079 (State v. Guillen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Guillen, 2001 NMCA 079, 32 P.3d 812, 130 N.M. 803 (N.M. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

OPINION

PICKARD, Judge.

{1} Defendant appeals the trial court’s refusal to grant him presentence confinement credit for time spent under house arrest pursuant to an electronic monitoring program. The trial court ruled that it lacked the authority to grant this credit based on its understanding of the mandatory sentencing provision of the DWI statute, NMSA 1978, § 66-8-102 (1999). We hold that the conditions of Defendant’s participation in the electronic monitoring program, coupled with the fact that Defendant was subject to punishment for the crime of escape under NMSA 1978, § 30-22-8.1 (1999), satisfied the requirements of State v. Fellhauer, 1997-NMCA-064, 123 N.M. 476, 943 P.2d 123, and entitled Defendant to credit. We reverse Defendant’s sentence and remand with instructions to grant Defendant presentence credit for the time spent in the electronic monitoring program.

FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS

{2} Defendant was indicted on charges of driving while under the influence, driving on a suspended or revoked license, no proof of financial responsibility, and careless driving. Because he could not meet the original bond conditions set by the trial court, Defendant spent three months, less six days, in jail. At a subsequent hearing on Defendant’s motion for reduction of bond, the trial court agreed to release Defendant from jail on the condition that he participate in an electronic monitoring program. In addition to imposing the standard conditions of release pursuant to Rules 9-302 and 9-303 NMRA 2001, the trial court imposed the following additional conditions:

(1) attend outpatient alcohol treatment and fully comply with all conditions of the treatment program;
(2) execute a release authorizing the treatment program and the electronic monitoring program to provide information to the court, the district attorney, and defense counsel;
(3) submit to random urinalysis three times a week for the first month and thereafter as required by the electronic monitoring program; and
(4) remain at his home at all times except to attend alcohol counseling, work, or religious services.

Furthermore, the alcohol treatment program was instructed to immediately report any missed meetings to the electronic monitoring program, the court, the district attorney, and defense counsel.

{3} At the time the trial court set the conditions of Defendant’s release, the court cautioned Defendant that upon acceptance into the electronic monitoring program, Defendant would be required to comply with all of the special conditions imposed by the court. The court informed Defendant that it had filed a pre-signed arrest warrant that would be activated upon notification from either the treatment program or the electronic monitoring program that Defendant had failed to comply with any of the conditions of his release. The pre-signed arrest warrant was filed approximately one week after Defendant’s release from jail.

{4} Defendant successfully participated in the electronic monitoring program and in alcohol treatment from the time of his release until he was sentenced seven and one-half months later. Defendant was sentenced after pleading guilty to felony DWI (fourth offense) and driving with a suspended or revoked license. At sentencing, Defendant asked the trial court to award him presentence confinement credit for the time spent in the electronic monitoring program. The trial court concluded that it was not authorized to grant Defendant’s request. The court sentenced Defendant to eighteen months imprisonment, twelve months of which were suspended, with unsupervised probation for one year. The court awarded Defendant presentence confinement credit for the approximately three months that Defendant spent in jail prior to his release on bond. Defendant now appeals the trial court’s denial of credit for the time he spent in the electronic monitoring program.

DISCUSSION

{5} As a preliminary note, the State implies, without arguing, that presentenee confinement credit should not apply to the mandatory sentences set forth in the DWI statute, Section 66-8-102. Our Supreme Court has presumed that a trial court is required to grant presentence credit, for official confinement, to defendants convicted of a fourth or subsequent DWI offense. See State v. Martinez, 1998-NMSC-023, ¶ 10, 126 N.M. 39, 966 P.2d 747 (“Therefore, we presume, based on [NMSA 1978, § ] 31-20-12 [ (1977) ] and the Legislature’s use of the word ‘felony’ in Section 66-8-102, that the Legislature intended to require that trial courts grant presentence credit, for official confinement, to defendants convicted of a fourth or subsequent offense of DWL”). We need not address whether credit for presentenee confinement other than jail would apply, to mandatory sentences for aggravated, second, or third DWI offenses because such sentences are not at issue in this ease. See id. ¶ 20, 966 P.2d 747 (declining to reach question because not at issue, but noting distinction in language describing credits for non-felony DWI (“for ‘jail’ time served prior to the conviction”) and felony DWI (for “ ‘official confinement’ ”)).

{6} In Fellhauer, we noted that our analysis of the law of presentence confinement credit is guided by a desire to “simplify the sentencing court’s inquiry to the extent possible” by providing a clear guide that does not require fact intensive inquiries into whether specific conditions of release subject a defendant to jail-type confinement. 1997-NMCA-064, ¶¶ 15-16, 123 N.M. 476, 943 P.2d 123. As such, we must decide, as a matter of law, whether house arrest under a community custody release program entitles a defendant to presentence credit for time spent in the program. We review issues involving the interpretation and application of law de novo. See State v. Roman, 1998-NMCA-132, ¶ 8, 125 N.M. 688, 964 P.2d 852.

{7} In Fellhauer, 1997-NMCA-064, ¶ 17, 123 N.M. 476, 943 P.2d 123, we held that time spent outside of jail may qualify as “official confinement” for the purposes of receiving presentence confinement credit under Section 31-20-12,

when (1) a court has entered an order releasing the defendant from a facility but has imposed limitations on the defendant’s freedom of movement, OR the defendant is in the actual or constructive custody of state or local law enforcement or correctional officers; and (2) the defendant is punishable for a crime of escape if there is an unauthorized departure from the place of confinement or other non-compliance with the court’s order.

The State concedes that the conditions of Defendant’s release meet the second prong of the Fellhauer test. See § 30-22-8.1 (defining crime of escape from a community custody release program such as an electronic monitoring program). At issue in this case, is whether the other conditions of release were sufficiently restrictive to meet the alternative requirements of the first prong.

{8} Defendant argues that the time spent under house arrest pursuant to the community custody release program qualifies as both a limitation on his freedom of movement, and as constructive custody of state or local law enforcement or correctional officers.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2001 NMCA 079, 32 P.3d 812, 130 N.M. 803, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-guillen-nmctapp-2001.