State v. Ness

819 N.W.2d 219, 2012 WL 3553275, 2012 Minn. App. LEXIS 87
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedAugust 20, 2012
DocketNos. A12-0290, A12-0291
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 819 N.W.2d 219 (State v. Ness) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Ness, 819 N.W.2d 219, 2012 WL 3553275, 2012 Minn. App. LEXIS 87 (Mich. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION

CONNOLLY, Judge.

In these consolidated appeals by the state, challenging the dismissal of charges of violating domestic-abuse no-contact orders (DANCOs) in two separate district court files, the state argues (1) the district court erred in allowing respondent to collaterally attack the DANCOs after he failed to appeal the issuance of the DAN-COs; and (2) the district court erred in finding that Minn.Stat. § 629.75 is facially unconstitutional and in dismissing the felony charges of violating the DANCOs on due-process grounds. Because there is no right to appeal the issuance of a pretrial DANCO, we hold that a challenge to the issuance of the DANCO in a subsequent prosecution for violating that DANCO is not barred as a collateral attack. However, because Minn.Stat. § 629.75 provides a defendant with adequate notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard and is not unconstitutionally vague on its face, we hold that the statute does not violate the due-process clauses of the United States or Minnesota State Constitutions. Therefore, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand the case to the district court.

[222]*222FACTS

Respondent Bryan Paul Ness was arrested on January 27, 2011 for allegedly assaulting his wife, N.N., and was charged with gross-misdemeanor child endangerment, gross-misdemeanor domestic assault, gross-misdemeanor fifth-degree assault; a charge of misdemeanor domestic assault was added later. The district court issued a pretrial DANCO (DANCO 1) pursuant to Minn.Stat. § 629.75, subd. 1(b), prohibiting respondent from contacting N.N. Respondent was convicted of domestic assault for the January 27 incident in February 2011.

On March 6, 2011, respondent was arrested and charged with violating DANCO 1. The DANCO 1 violation was enhanced to a felony offense under Minn.Stat, § 629.75, subd. 2(d)(1), which requires charge enhancement when the defendant knowingly violates a DANCO issued by the court within ten years of the first of two or more previous qualified domestic-violence-related convictions. The predicate convictions consisted of a 2009 fifth-degree assault conviction and the February 2011 domestic-assault conviction. On March 7, 2011, the district court issued a new pretrial DANCO (DANCO 2) in connection with these new charges.

On November 23, 2011, respondent was arrested and charged with a felony count of violation of a DANCO and obstructing legal process, after an incident in which he violated DANCO 2. In January 2012, respondent filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that Minn.Stat. § 629.75, subd. 1(b), (c), violates due process under the federal and state constitutions. On February 8, 2012, the district court issued two separate orders dismissing respondent’s two counts of felony violation of a DANCO, stemming from the March 6, 2011 and November 23, 2011 incidents. The district court held that respondent was allowed to challenge the issuance of the pretrial DANCO in a subsequent prosecution for violating the DANCO and held that Minn.Stat. § 629.75, subd. 1(b), (c), is unconstitutional on due-process grounds. Specifically, the district court ruled that the statute provides defendants with no procedural due-process protections and is unconstitutionally vague because it encourages arbitrary enforcement. The state appeals.

ISSUES

I. Did the district court err in allowing respondent to collaterally attack the DANCOs when he failed to appeal the issuance of the DANCOs?
II. Did the district court err in finding that Minn.Stat. § 629.75 is facially unconstitutional and in dismissing the felony charge of violating the DANCOs on due-process grounds?

ANALYSIS

I. Collateral Attack

Before we reach the constitutionality issue, we must first decide whether respondent was allowed to challenge the constitutionality of Minn.Stat. § 629.75 in a subsequent prosecution for violating a DANCO. “Purely legal issues are reviewed de novo.” Davis v. Danielson, 558 N.W.2d 286, 287 (Minn.App.1997), review denied (Minn. Mar. 18, 1997).

Appellant argues that the district court erred in allowing respondent to collaterally attack the DANCO when he failed to appeal the issuance of the DANCO. Respondent did not challenge either of the two DANCOs when they were initially issued, on January 27, 2011 and March 7, 2011. Rather, respondent challenged the constitutional validity of the underlying DANCOs in the subsequent prosecution for felony violations of the DANCOs. The district court concluded that, because a de[223]*223fendant does not have a clear right to appeal a pretrial DANCO issued pursuant to Minn.Stat. § 629.75, a defendant is not barred from challenging the order in a subsequent proceeding.

“A domestic abuse no contact order is an order issued by a court against a defendant in a criminal proceeding .... ” and “is independent of any condition of pretrial release or probation imposed on the defendant.” Minn.Stat. § 629.75, subd. 1(a), (b). A collateral attack is an “attack on a judgment in a proceeding other than a direct appeal.” Black’s Law Dictionary 298 (9th ed.2009). “As a general rule, a party’s failure to appeal the issuance of a court order precludes a collateral attack on that order in a subsequent proceeding.” State v. Romine, 757 N.W.2d 884, 889-90 (Minn.App.2008); see also State v. Harrington, 504 N.W.2d 500, 502-03 (Minn.App.1993) (holding that a defendant who failed to appeal a harassment restraining order in the case in which it was issued could not challenge the constitutionality of that order in a subsequent criminal prosecution for violating it), review denied, (Minn. Sept. 30, 1993).

Harrington involved two individuals who were charged with violating a harassment restraining order (HRO) and subsequently challenged the constitutional validity of the underlying HRO. 504 N.W.2d at 501. This court noted that, “[f]ollowing issuance of a restraining order, the restrained party has an appeal time of 30 days from service of written notice of the order. Appellants did not appeal the validity of the order, and thus are precluded from attacking it in this subsequent action.” Id. at 503 (citation omitted). Therefore, in the case of an HRO, a defendant must appeal from the issuance of the initial restraining order and may not collaterally attack the issuance in a subsequent action for a violation of the underlying HRO. Id.

Romine involved an individual who was charged with violating an order for protection (OFP) and then challenged the constitutional validity of the underlying OFP in the district court and on appeal. 757 N.W.2d at 888-89. This court noted that the OFP was issued “following an eviden-tiary hearing at which Romine appeared” and that “Romine had the right to appeal from the issuance of the OFP.” Id. at 890. Additionally, “Romine initially pursued an appeal from the issuance of the OFP but voluntarily dismissed it.” Id. Consequently, this court determined that Romine could not collaterally attack the underlying OFP on which his conviction was based. Id.

In contrast to the defendants in Romine and Harrington, the defendant in this case did not have a right to appeal the issuance of the pretrial DANCO.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State of Minnesota v. Toni Elizabeth Ickler
Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2024
State v. Schloegl
915 N.W.2d 14 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2018)
State of Minnesota v. Joel Thomas Samuelson
Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2016
State of Minnesota v. Allen Maurice Moffett
Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2016
Jamel Daniel Hoard v. State of Minnesota
Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2016
Francisco Vincent Vargas v. State of Minnesota
Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2015
Sara Elaine Katra v. State of Minnesota
Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2015
Patrick Samuel Meszaros v. State of Minnesota
Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2015
Jose Manuel Flores v. State of Minnesota
Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2015
State of Iowa v. Troy Daniel Dowell
Court of Appeals of Iowa, 2015
State of Minnesota v. Ali Mehrallian
Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2014
State v. Ness
834 N.W.2d 177 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 2013)
Fiduciary Foundation, LLC v. Brown
834 N.W.2d 756 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2013)
State v. Phipps
820 N.W.2d 282 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
819 N.W.2d 219, 2012 WL 3553275, 2012 Minn. App. LEXIS 87, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-ness-minnctapp-2012.