State v. Orr

2015 SD 89, 871 N.W.2d 834, 2015 S.D. LEXIS 153, 2015 WL 7074783
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 10, 2015
Docket27242, 27243, 27244
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 2015 SD 89 (State v. Orr) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota 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. Orr, 2015 SD 89, 871 N.W.2d 834, 2015 S.D. LEXIS 153, 2015 WL 7074783 (S.D. 2015).

Opinion

SEVERSON, Justice.

[¶ 1.] Travis Orr appeals three criminal sentences. He was given concurrent penitentiary and probationary sentences that place him under simultaneous supervision of both the judicial and executive branches. We reverse and remand.

Background

[¶2.] In October of 2014, Travis Orr was sentenced on three separate offenses. In 2013, Orr was convicted of driving or being in actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, and he was placed on probation. In October 2014, after a hearing at which Orr admitted to violating the terms of his probation by ingesting methamphetamine, the circuit court revoked probation and imposed a two-year penitentiary sentence. (Sentence 1 (#27242)). That same month, Orr received two additional sentences, each for unauthorized ingestion of a controlled drug or substance (methamphetamine) in violation of SDCL 22-42-5.1 — a class 5 felony. On one of the convictions for unauthorized ingestion, the court sentenced Orr to five years in the penitentiary and suspended the five years, placing Orr on probation subject to conditions, including 180 days in county jail with work release. (Sentence 2 (# 27243)). On the final sentence, the court sentenced Orr to four years in thé penitentiary.. (Sentence 3 (# 27244)).' The court ordered Sentence 3 to run consecutively to Sentence 1. It further ordered Sentence 2, the probationary term, to run concurrently with Sentences 1 and 3. Orr appeals, asserting that the court exceeded its authority by imposing sentences that subject him to simultaneous supervision by the executive and legislative branches. The State argues that Orr’s position is based on outdated cases. Further, the State contends that SDCL 22-6-11 required the court to sentence Orr to probation on Sentence ■ 2 and that the. court lacked authority to impose any other sentence.

Standard of Review

[¶3.] “We generally'review a sentence within the Statutory maximum under the abuse of discretion standard of review.” State v. Whitfield, 2015 S.D. 17, ¶ 11, 862 N.W.2d 133, 137 (quoting State v. Overbey, 2010 S.D. 78, ¶ 13, 790 N.W.2d 35, 40). However, whether the court had authority under South Dakota’s constitution and statutes to impose simultaneous penitentiary and probationary sentences presents a question of law reviewed de novo. Id.

Analysis

■ [¶ 4.] We have recently reiterated that a defendant should not be subjected to simultaneous supervision of the executive branch and judicial branch. State v. Anderson, 2015 S.D. 60, ¶ 16, 867 N.W.2d *836 718, 724. Despite the State’s contentions that such an approach is based on outdated criminal statutes, South Dakota’s Constitution and its statutes, which delineate whether the Department of Corrections or the Judiciary is responsible for a convicted defendant, compel us to reach the same decision today that we have in the past. See State v. Moon, 514 N.W.2d 705 (S.D.1994); State v. McConnell, 495 N.W.2d 658 (S.D.1993); State v. Wooley, 461 N.W.2d 117 (S.D.1990); State v. Huftile, 367 N.W.2d 193 (S.D.1985) (construing previous version of SDCL chapter 24-15).

[¶ 5.] Probationers are subject to the supervision of our judicial branch. South Dakota’s courts are empowered by the constitution to suspend imposition or execution of a sentence, “unless otherwise provided by law.” S.D. Const, art. V, § 5. “[T]he trial court’s function in suspending sentence and granting terms of probation are exclusively the province of the judicial branch.” Huftile, 367 N.W.2d at 197; see also SDCL 23A-27-12 (“After conviction of an offense not punishable by death or life imprisonment, a defendant may be placed on probation. No person who has been previously convicted for a crime of violence as defined in subdivision § 22-1-2(9) may be placed on probation if his second or subsequent felony conviction is for a crime of violence as defined in subdivision § 22-1-2(9).”). Those placed on probation are “assign[ed] ... to a court services officer for probation supervision.” SDCL 23A-27-12.1.

[¶ 6.] In contrast to those placed on probation, inmates of the state penitentiary are under the control of the executive branch. Article XIV of our constitution establishes the penitentiary and places it “under such rules and restrictions as the Legislature shall provide.” S.D. Const, art. XIV, §§ 1-2. SDCL chapter 1-15 creates the Department of Corrections, “under the direction and control of the secretary of corrections, [which] shall govern ... the state penitentiary, and other state correctional facilities, parole services, [and] the Board of Pardons and Paroles[.]” SDCL 1-15-1.4. The governor appoints the secretary of corrections. SDCL 1 — 15— 1.3; S.D. Const, art. IV, § 9 (“Each principal department shall be under the supervision of the Governor_”). Therefore, even though our prior opinions discussing the control of the executive branch over penitentiary inmates referred to the “Board of Charities” and its place in the executive branch as established by SDCL 1-15-1 (repealed 1989), state penitentiary inmates are still under the control of the executive branch.

[¶ 7.] Our statutes set forth the supervisory roles of the branches in scenarios where a defendant might otherwise come under dual supervision. Although probationers are subject to the supervision of the judicial branch, SDCL 23A-27-18.1 allows the court to sentence the defendant to a term of imprisonment in the county jail or state penitentiary as a condition of probation. Those sentenced to county jail are placed “under the supervision of the court services officer assigned by the court having jurisdiction of the person.” SDCL 23A-27-18.2. However, those offenders who are sentenced to the penitentiary are only under the supervision of the court services officer “upon that person’s release from the state penitentiary after completion of the penitentiary term imposed pursuant to § 23A-27-18.1.” Id. When a court partially suspends a sentence, the defendant “is under the supervision of the Department of Corrections and the Board of Pardons and Paroles....

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2015 SD 89, 871 N.W.2d 834, 2015 S.D. LEXIS 153, 2015 WL 7074783, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-orr-sd-2015.