State v. Joyner

158 P.3d 263, 215 Ariz. 134, 505 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 30, 2007 Ariz. App. LEXIS 91
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedMay 31, 2007
Docket2 CA-CR 2006-0032
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 158 P.3d 263 (State v. Joyner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Joyner, 158 P.3d 263, 215 Ariz. 134, 505 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 30, 2007 Ariz. App. LEXIS 91 (Ark. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION

VÁSQUEZ, Judge.

¶ 1 A jury found Ramon Joyner guilty of possession of a narcotic drug, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting arrest. It also found that he had prior convictions for armed robbery and attempted armed robbery. He was sentenced to a mitigated, enhanced, eight-year term of imprisonment for possession of a narcotic drug and presumptive, enhanced, 3.75-year terms of imprisonment for each of the other convictions, all to be served concurrently.

¶2 On appeal, Joyner maintains his sentences for the possession convictions are illegal. He argues that, as a matter of law, his prior convictions for armed robbery and attempted armed robbery do not fall within the statutory definition of “violent crime” in A.R.S. § 13-604.04, and he is therefore eligible for mandatory probation. See A.R.S. § 13-901.01. On this record, we agree.

Procedural Background

¶ 3 The state alleged in Joyner’s indictment that he was “ineligible for probation pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-901.01” based on his past convictions for attempted armed robbery and armed robbery, “which was a violent crime.” After the guilty verdicts were rendered, the state presented the jury with evidence of Joyner’s prior criminal convictions, including charging documents, plea agreements, sentencing minute entries, and presentence reports for both offenses. The jury found Joyner had been previously convicted of armed robbery and attempted armed robbery, which were identified in the verdict forms by specific cause numbers.

¶ 4 At sentencing, neither the parties nor the trial court addressed the potential application of § 13-901.01, and the presentenee report simply noted, “[n]o probation available.” 1 The court “reaffirm[edj” the convictions and the jury’s findings that Joyner had *137 two prior felony convictions before imposing sentence.

Standard of Review

¶ 5 Because Joyner did not raise the issues he raises now at sentencing, we review his claims only for fundamental error. See State v. Henderson, 210 Ariz. 561, ¶ 19, 115 P.3d 601, 607 (2005). “To prevail under this standard of review, a defendant must establish both that fundamental error exists and that the error in his case caused him prejudice.” Id. ¶ 20. We will not disturb a sentence that is within the statutory range absent an abuse of the trial court’s discretion. State v. Russell, 175 Ariz. 529, 534, 858 P.2d 674, 679 (App.1993). On the other hand, “[t]he failure to impose a sentence in conformity with mandatory sentencing statutes makes the resulting sentence illegal.” State v. Carbajal, 184 Ariz. 117, 118, 907 P.2d 503, 504 (App.1995). And we have held that the “[i]mposition of an illegal sentence constitutes fundamental error.” State v. Thues, 203 Ariz. 339, ¶4, 54 P.3d 368, 369 (App. 2002); see also State v. Vargas-Burgos, 162 Ariz. 325, 327, 783 P.2d 264, 266 (App.1989) (claim that sentence illegal not waived by failure to object in trial court). Moreover, “[w]hether the trial court applied the correct sentencing statute is a question of law, which we review de novo.” State v. Hollenback, 212 Ariz. 12, ¶ 12, 126 P.3d 159, 163 (App. 2005).

Sentencing Pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-901.01

¶ 6 Section 13-901.01 is the codification of a voter initiative commonly known as Proposition 200 that “significantly changed the legal consequences for defendants convicted of certain nonviolent, first- and second-time drug offenses.” 2 State v. Rodriguez, 200 Ariz. 105, ¶ 2, 23 P.3d 100, 101 (App.2001). Specifically, § 13-901.01(A) provides:

Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any person who is convicted of the personal possession or use of a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia is eligible for probation. The court shall suspend the imposition or execution of sentence and place the person on probation.

¶ 7 There are limited exceptions to this mandatory probation requirement, however. A court is not required to place a defendant on probation when a defendant has been convicted for a third time of personal possession of a controlled substance, see § 13 — 901.01(H)(1); State v. Guillory, 199 Ariz. 462, ¶ 3, 18 P.3d 1261, 1263 (App.2001), or when a defendant “has been convicted of or indicted for a violent crime as defined in § 13-604.04,” § 13-901.01(B). Section 13-604.04, which was also enacted to give effect to Proposition 200,1997 Ariz. Sess. Laws, ch. 6, § 1, defines a violent crime as “any criminal act that results in death or physical injury or any criminal use of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument,” § 13-604.04(B). Thus, a defendant who has multiple prior convictions for drug offenses or any prior conviction for a violent crime is subject to “[standard felony sentencing provisions that permit imprisonment.” Foster v. Irwin, 196 Ariz. 230, ¶ 3, 995 P.2d 272, 273-74 (2000). Conversely, “[a] prior conviction for a nonviolent, non-drug-related crime does not negate the probation requirement” of § 13-901.01. Foster, 196 Ariz. 230, ¶ 10, 995 P.2d at 276.

¶8 Here, the trial court implicitly found Joyner was ineligible for mandatory probation under § 13-901.01(B) (and, by reference, § 13-604.04) because of Joyner’s prior convictions for armed robbery and attempted armed robbery. Citing State v. Crawford, 214 Ariz. 129, 149 P.3d 753 (2007); State v. Hinchey, 165 Ariz. 432, 799 P.2d 352 (1990); and Cherry v. Araneta, 203 Ariz. 532, 57 P.3d 391 (App.2002), Joyner argues that whether a defendant’s prior conviction may be characterized as a violent crime as defined in § 13-604.04 is a legal question that may be resolved only by reference to the statutory elements of the offense of conviction, without consideration of the underlying facts. And, according to Joyner, a conviction for armed robbery does not necessarily establish a *138 “criminal use of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument,” § 13-604.04, because armed robbery may also be committed by using or threatening to use a simulated deadly weapon, see A.R.S. § 13-1904. 3

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
158 P.3d 263, 215 Ariz. 134, 505 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 30, 2007 Ariz. App. LEXIS 91, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-joyner-arizctapp-2007.