State v. Jess

184 P.3d 133, 117 Haw. 381
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedApril 4, 2008
Docket28483
StatusPublished
Cited by60 cases

This text of 184 P.3d 133 (State v. Jess) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Jess, 184 P.3d 133, 117 Haw. 381 (haw 2008).

Opinions

Opinion of the Court by

LEVINSON, J.

On October 6, 2004, the defendant-appellee Brian Jess filed a 28 U.S.C. § 2254 (1996)1 petition for a writ of habeas corpus in the United States District Court for the District of Hawai'i. In his petition, Jess alleged that the extended term sentence that the circuit court of the first circuit, the Honorable Victoria S. Marks presiding, imposed upon him on May 7, 2001,2 pursuant to Hawai'i Revised Statutes (HRS) §§ 706-661 (Supp.1999),3 [387]*387706-662(1), 706-662(4)(a) (Supp.1996),4 and 706-664 (1993)5 was, in light of Apprendi v. [388]*388New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000), and its progeny, in violation of his right to a jury trial as provided by the sixth amendment to the United States Constitution. See Jess v. Peyton, No. Civ. 04-00601JMS/BMK, 2006 WL 1041737, at *1-*2 (D. Haw. April 18, 2006) (Jess II). On April 18, 2006, the United States District Court granted Jess’s petition, concluding that the finding made by the circuit court, i.e., that an extended term was necessary for the protection of the public [hereinafter, “the necessity finding”], violated his sixth amendment right to a trial by jury as articulated in Apprendi Id. at *4. The district court ordered the circuit court to resentence Jess in a manner consistent with that conclusion. Id. at *6. The reserved question before this court stems, ultimately, from that order, and reads as follows:

May the trial court, as part of a sentencing proceeding brought pursuant to Section 706-662(1) & (4), H.R.S., empanel a jury to make a factual finding to determine whether the prosecution has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant’s commitment for an extended term of incarceration is necessary for the protection of the public?

The issue raised by the reserved question was addressed in part in our recent decision in State v. Maugaotega, 115 Hawai'i 432, 168 P.3d 562 (2007), [hereinafter, “Maugaotega II”]. Based upon Maugaotega II and the analysis infra, we answer the reserved question as follows:

Although the two-count complaint filed by the prosecution on March 2, 2000 against the defendant-appellee Brian Jess did not charge the “aggravated crimes” described in HRS § 706-662, see Cunningham v. California, 549 U.S. 270, 127 S.Ct. 856, 864[, 166 L.Ed.2d 856] (2007), the circuit court nevertheless has authority to impose extended terms of imprisonment upon Jess pursuant to the provisions of HRS § 706-662, because our decision to require the allegation of aggravating extrinsic facts in a charging instrument applies prospectively only. Furthermore, insofar as the circuit court possesses the inherent judicial authority “to provide process where none exists,” State v. Moriwake, 65 Haw. 47, 55, 647 P.2d 705, 711-12 (1982), and the legislature, by amending Hawaii’s extended term sentencing laws to include jury fact-finding, has clearly expressed its approval of a jury system for making the required findings in order to bring the extended sentencing procedures into compliance with Cunningham>6 the circuit court would [389]*389act within its discretion if, pursuant to HRS §§ 706-662(1) and 706-662(4) (Supp. 1996), it empaneled a jury to make a factual finding as to whether the prosecution has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant’s commitment for an extended term or terms of imprisonment is necessary for the protection of the public. Finally, in light of the plain language of Act 1, see supra notes 3-6, and the remedial nature of its amendments, the circuit court can also empanel a jury to make the same factual finding with respect to a defendant pursuant to HRS §§ 706-662, as amended by Act 1.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Initial Proceedings In The Circuit Cowrt And This Court

On March 2, 2000, the plaintiff-appellant State of Hawai'i [hereinafter, “the prosecution”] charged Jess by complaint with robbery in the first degree, in violation of HRS § 708—840(1)(b)(ii) (Supp.1998) (Count I), and unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, in violation of HRS § 708-836 (Supp.1999) [hereinafter, “UCPV”] (Count II), both charges arising out of an incident wherein Jess robbed a taxi driver at knifepoint and took the vehicle. The complaint specifically alleged:

COUNT I: On or about the 23rd day of February, 2000, in the City and County of Honolulu, State of Hawai[‘]i, BRIAN JESS, while in the course of committing a theft and while armed with a dangerous instrument, to wit, a knife, did threaten the imminent use of force against Canh Tran, a person who was present with intent to compel acquiescence to the taking of or escaping with the property, thereby committing the offense of Robbery in the First Degree, in violation of Section 708-840(1)(b)(ii) of the Hawai[‘]i Revised Statutes.
COUNT II: On or about the 24th day of February, 2000, in the City and County of Honolulu, State of Hawai[‘]i, BRIAN JESS, did intentionally or knowingly exert unauthorized control over a propelled vehicle, by operating the vehicle without the consent of Canh Tran, owner of said vehicle, thereby committing the offense of Unauthorized Control of Propelled Vehicle, in violation of Section 708-836 of the Hawai[‘]i Revised Statutes.

On December 4, 2000, a jury found Jess guilty of both counts. On January 10, 2001, the prosecution filed motions (1) to sentence Jess as a repeat offender, pursuant to HRS § 706-606.5 (Supp.1999), to a mandatory minimum sentence of six years and eight months imprisonment, (2) for an extended term of imprisonment of life with the possibility of parole as to Count I, pursuant to HRS' §§ 706-661, 706-662(1), and 706-662(4)(a) (Supp.1996), and (3) for the sentences on the two counts to be served consec[390]*390utively, pursuant to HRS § 706-668.5 (1993). On May 7, 2001, the circuit court, the Honorable Victoria S. Marks presiding, entered a judgment of conviction and sentenced Jess to an extended term of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum term of one year and eight months as to Count I and an extended term of ten years with a mandatory minimum term of one year and eight months as to Count II, the two sentences to run concurrently.7

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
184 P.3d 133, 117 Haw. 381, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-jess-haw-2008.