State v. Hersch

467 N.W.2d 463, 1991 N.D. App. LEXIS 5, 1991 WL 33768
CourtNorth Dakota Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 15, 1991
DocketCr. 900330CA, 900331CA
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 467 N.W.2d 463 (State v. Hersch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota 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. Hersch, 467 N.W.2d 463, 1991 N.D. App. LEXIS 5, 1991 WL 33768 (N.D. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinions

WILLIAM F. HODNY, District Judge.

Defendant appeals from the amended judgment of resentence. We affirm.

In three Informations, defendant was charged with nine counts of theft of property. After jury trial, defendant was found guilty on all nine counts. All counts were Class C felonies punishable by a maximum of five years’ imprisonment each.

On Count 1, defendant was sentenced to serve five years at the North Dakota State Penitentiary. Two years of the five were [464]*464suspended for a five-year period subject to conditions.

On Counts 2 through 9, defendant was sentenced to serve consecutive sentences of one year with each of the sentences suspended for a period of five years subject to conditions.

Under this sentencing arrangement, the sentence on Count 1 would not have expired for five years. After this initial five-year period, the consecutive sentences on Counts 2 through 9 would begin and run for the suspended period of five years. The whole sentencing package would have taken 10 years to completion.

Defendant appealed all of his convictions, and the Supreme Court reversed Counts 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9. Counts 4 and 6 were affirmed. State v. Hersch, 445 N.W.2d 626 (N.D.1989). The seven reversed counts are presently pending in district court.

Upon remand of the case to district court, the State moved to have defendant resentenced on Counts 4 and 6. The court ordered a resentencing and sentenced defendant to concurrent sentences of five years’ imprisonment with four years suspended on each count. This represents an increased prison sentence on those two counts, but less prison time than originally given on Count 1. This sentencing arrangement runs for a total of five years versus the ten years on the original sentencing arrangement.

On appeal the defendant raises no constitutional issue regarding the resen-tencing,1 nor does he raise the issue of vindictive sentencing.2 Defendant does challenge the jurisdiction and authority of the district court to resentence.

Defendant contends that once a sentence is imposed, the court loses jurisdiction, State v. Gronlie, 213 N.W.2d 874 (N.D.1973); John v. State, 160 N.W.2d 37 (N.D.1968), except that under Rule 35, N.D.R. Crim.P., a court is authorized to correct an illegal sentence, correct a sentence imposed in an illegal manner, or reduce a sentence, State v. Bryan, 316 N.W.2d 335 (N.D.1982), but may not increase a sentence. State v. Garvin, 329 N.W.2d 621 (N.D.1983). None of these cases considered a resentencing after partial reversal of a multi-count sentence. We do not view them as precedent on the issues presented by this case because of our acceptance of the aggregate sentence package theory as explained below.

In the resentence proceedings before the district court, the State relied on State v. Haugen, 449 N.W.2d 784 (N.D.1989), as authority allowing a resentencing. Defendant correctly observes that in Haugen, supra, the Supreme Court specifically remanded with instructions giving the district court an opportunity to reconsider its sentence on counts affirmed whereas in this case the remand was for further proceedings consistent with the opinion with no specific direction allowing or prohibiting resentence. We note that in Haugen, supra, the court apparently gave the direction for reconsideration of sentence because the sentences not reversed ran consecutive to the reversed sentence.

Rule 35(d), N.D.R.App.P., provides that the Supreme Court may reverse, affirm, or modify the judgment and may set aside, affirm, or modify any or all proceedings subsequent to or dependent upon the judgment and if proper order a new trial. The rule then concludes, “In either case, the action must be remanded to the trial court with proper instructions, together with the opinion of the court.” In Hersch, supra, the court in its opinion provided for a new trial on the seven reversed counts and concluded by affirming in part, reversing in part and remanding for further proceedings consistent with the opinion. The mandate accompanying the opinion does not [465]*465contain any instructions different from the opinion.

This case presents the question of what time a consecutive sentence begins when it is consecutive to a reversed sentence. It is defendant’s position that the consecutive sentences began on the reversal of any prior sentence. This contention, though logical, was not supported by any statutory or case authority and leaves matters somewhat indefinite. For instance, could the defendant claim his period of probation had not commenced if brought before the court for a violation within the first five years?

Obviously, the Supreme Court did not expressly authorize the district court to resentence. On the other hand, the court did reverse only a portion of the judgment. The sentences in Counts 4 and 6, which were not reversed, were consecutive to the sentence in Count 1 and would not have begun until the expiration of five years. The reversal of some counts and affirmance of others upset the sentencing package devised by the district judge, because the various counts were interdependent for reasons already mentioned.

In State v. Raucci, 21 Conn.App. 557, 575 A.2d 234 (1990), the court analyzed the caselaw and reached a result based on the aggregate package view of sentencing. We accept this view. As in this case, the defendant in Raucci, supra, did not challenge the constitutionality of the revised sentences but rather attacked the trial court’s authority to increase his sentence. Further, the trial court was bound to sentencing rules similar to our Rule 35, N.D.R. Crim.P.

Under the aggregate sentence package, a defendant appealing any of his convictions and punishments voluntarily calls into play the validity of the entire sentencing package. Thus, when one or more of the convictions is reversed on appeal without specific instruction from the appellate court the sentencing court may review the sentencing package and increase the sentences on individual counts if the original sentence is not exceeded. The original sentencing court is viewed as having imposed individual sentences merely as component parts of a larger total sentence for the aggregate convictions. To invalidate part of the package without allowing a review and revision of the sentence on the remaining valid convictions would frustrate the sentencing intent. On a resentencing, the trial court is not acting pursuant to Rule 35, N.D.R.Crim.P., to increase a sentence. Rather the result of the appeal is such that the court may review the objectives of the sentence as though it had been so directed by the appellate court.3 U.S. v. Shue, 825 F.2d 1111 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 956, 108 S.Ct. 351, 98 L.Ed.2d 376 (1987).

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State v. Fisher
891 P.2d 1065 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1995)
State v. Hirsch
511 N.W.2d 69 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1994)
State v. Hersch
467 N.W.2d 463 (North Dakota Court of Appeals, 1991)

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467 N.W.2d 463, 1991 N.D. App. LEXIS 5, 1991 WL 33768, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-hersch-ndctapp-1991.